Silena Jackson: The Next Hero
by TheSeasChild
Summary: When my mom and dad, Percy and Annabeth Jackson, go on a quest with five other demigods to go keep the monsters under control in Tartarus, something happens, and they go missing. So me, along with seven other second generations, have made it our personal mission to save our parents. (STORY IS BEING EDITED SORRY IF THINGS DON'T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE!)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

I woke up screaming, my bed a damp mess. Yes, here I was, a 13 year old girl, wetting the bed. It started a couple of weeks ago when these dreams started.

"Silena!" My mother gasped and she threw herself down next to me.

She caressed my face, and I leant into her shoulder and wept.

"Calm down Lena, it's okay darling." She sighed, pushing me back.

My mom gingerly picked up my quilt corner with her thumb and forefinger. "Not again Lena."

"I'm so sorry." I cried, throwing my head in my hands.

"You've been having dreams, haven't you?" She said, pity flashing across her stormy-grey eyes.

I simply nodded, and she pulled me into a tight embrace. "Lena, remember that we both love you so much, me and your father. We will do anything to protect you."

"Mom..."

"Yeah?"

"This time it was Cyclops."

"Cyclops huh? Your school teaches you weird stuff." My mom said lightly, but her whole body stiffened. "Can you tell me what this Cyclops looked like."

"Well... he had... um... green knotted hair... and that's all I can remember really." I said, as the image faltered and faded from my mind – just like every night.

My mom looked me in the eyes and ushered me off of my bed. She stripped it bare and re-made it so that I had a comfortable – and dry - bed to sleep in.

"Good night honey." My mother says as she tucked me in.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. What's a 13 year old girl doing with her mom tucking her up at night and treating her like a baby? Well, if you had to endure such realistic things at night, then you'd understand, but until then, you never will.

My mom gave me one last sad look, then walked out of my door, clicking it shut behind her. When I closed my eyes, somehow I managed to fall asleep, but this time, worse dreams awaited me.

"Hello Silena." An empty, echoing voice booms. "You have a week. A week left of the life you hold dear. After that, everything will change – and I mean everything. You better be ready, because my minions have been waiting too long."

Around me the scene changes from a pitch black cavern so that I'm standing in front of a beautiful lady with black hair and grey eyes who wears a full set of ancient bronze battle armour – who looks a lot like mom actually, if my mom had black hair.

"Silena, I must be brief. I have not got much time. Danger is approaching, and you are the only one who can stop it."

"What? What danger?"

"Silena, please, just listen. Great danger is approaching you and your family. To them, this will be worse than the last Titan war, but to you it will tear you apart – but you must be strong. You will be the only person alive who can save them – not even I, or Poseidon can save them."

"What are you talking about, please!" I cried.

The woman shook her head sadly. "I cannot tell you, I am forbidden."

"Then at least tell me who you are!"

The woman took a deep, long breath. "I am Athena, goddess of wisdom, battle and crafts. And your-"

"Silena. Silena, wake up!" My father said, perching on the edge of my bed and rocking my shoulder.

I grunted at him and pulled my quilt up over my head whilst he laughed. "C'mon kiddo, you're not getting away from me that easily!"

He put his hands up under my quilt and tickled my belly, and I started to screech.

"GET OFF ME! PLEASE! GAH!"

He smirked and stopped. "Humph." He said triumphantly.  
Suddenly a loud crash came from outside, and my dad stiffened momentarily.

"Percy!" My mom called from downstairs.

My dad winced like she hit him. "Sorry Annie Bell!"

"It's Annabeth! AND GET DOWN HERE NOW!" She shouted, and a another crash rang clear.

"I know!"

"Dad..." I said as he began to leave my room.

"Yeah?"

"Love you."

He smiled at me and walked downstairs to help my mom. As soon as he was out of earshot, I shot out of bed and change into my usual: knee high converses, simple jeans, simple top and my favourite owl hoodie. I slipped on my two favourite bracelets. One was made out of thick black links with a glowing green trident showing prominently, and the other was made of three rows of thin silver chains with an intelligent looking grey owl, with it's wings spread wide, as if it was trying to protect something. I rushed out of my door and leaped downstairs, four steps at a time, when i spotted my mother sat at the kitchen table, acting flustered.

"Mom?"

She looked up at me. "Good morning Silena, did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I guess." I lied, suspicious of her.

She raised her eyebrows as if to say 'of course' but she didn't comment.

"Uh, where's dad?" I asked, scanning the room.

"He, um, had to, um, go out."

"Where?"

"Somewhere."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I grabbed the handle on the back door and begun to twist, but my mom leaped up. "No Lena!" She screamed, grabbing at me.

I snatched my hand back. "Why?"

"It's dangerous!"

"Why!" I snap.

Tears clouded my mothers eyes, but she didn't answer me. Suddenly my father burst through the door, his clothes torn and his hair a mess. "Done." He said, his eyes wild.

"Well that's gardening gone to far!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide. What on earth was he doing out there?!

"Oh. Uh, good morning Silena." He said, suddenly aware to my presence and obviously trying to divert my attention.

"What were you doing?!"

"Nothing."

"What is it with you guys and nothing it's kinda obvious that what you were doing was something!"

My father looked over to my mother and she shook her head. "She's too young Percy."

"You knew when you were seven Annabeth. Seven."

"This is different Percy, and you know it is."

My dad flashed my mom one last pathetic look, then looked back at me.

"Silena, please go to your room."

"What?! I haven't done anything!"

"Silena." My dad growled.

With a stereotypical teenage grunt, I stormed out of the kitchen and straight out of the front door, making sure I slammed the door behind me. I made sure I still had bracelets on, and I continued running down Upper East Side, New York.

"Silena!" Someone shouted from behind me.

I stopped, mid step, and turned around to see a girl about 15, with brown waves, chocolate skin and and brown eyes bound up to me.

"Hi, I'm Kelli!" She chirped.

"Uh, hi Kelli, how do you know my name?"

"Uh, duh. Everybody who's anybody knows who Silena Jackson is!"

I was starting to get creeped out by this girl, and I started nervously rubbing my bracelets. Kelli's eyes wandered until they rested on my wrist.

"Oh don't do that!" Kelli growled, and she lashed out at me, her fingernails growing into talons. "You're as stupid as your father!"

With a yelp, I jumped backwards, but not before her nails grated along my chest, cutting through my hoodie and t-shirt, leaving long cuts. She swung at me again, this time aiming at my neck, but i ducked.

"Are you crazy! What are you?!" I screamed shakily, as we began to circle each other.

"Your ignorance is sweet Silena, it really is. I'm glad I was elected to eliminate such a sweet little girl."

I gave a slight squeak, and suddenly Kelli charged at me and her appearance changed. Her skin drained of colour until it was chalky white, her eyes turned red, her hair began to flicker, and when she bared her teeth at me, they elongated into fangs. She looked exactly like...

"A vampire!" I screeched, clumsily leaping out of the way as she charged at me once again.

"Stupid girl. I'm an Empousa. Server of Hecate." Kelli sneered, showing me her fangs once more.

Suddenly I tripped over an uneven paving stone and landed on the pavement with a thunk. Kelli appeared next to me and leant down to whisper in my ear.

"I didn't know it would be this easy." She hissed softly, her hair burning against my skin.

I lifted my arm up to shield my face, even though I knew it was futile. I closed my eyes and accepted death by a madman when suddenly my arm felt like lead, and Kelli screamed. I opened my eyes a tiny bit, to see a large circular sheet of silver hanging on my arm. I stood up slowly and with new-found confidence, paced towards Kelli as she backed away from me, keeping the shield in front of my torso. The shield glowed an unbelievable bright - almost too bright for me to look at - as I got nearer to Kelli, and she started to smoke.

"Get that away from me!" She screamed, and I could tell she was blinded.

I kept my shield in her eye line and I swung my other fist - that had my trident bracelet on - at her face, hoping to knock her off balance, and when it made contact, she disintegrated into a pile of yellow ash. And only then did I notice the silvery-blue sword in my hand, which had υδάτινος engraved into the hilt – which I somehow managed to read as: Aquatics.

I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. I'm a murderer. It was the only thing I could think. I opened my eyes once more and noticed how everything around me was normal – no yellow pile of ash, the sword and shield were gone and the only thing that gave away that what just happened really did happen was that I had 5 shallow cuts across my chest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Finally, after weaving my way through back alleys and side streets so no-one would see me, I fell through my front door. It wasn't like what you see in the movies – the half dead hero falls gracefully into their partners arm, oh no – it was more like a dead weight. But as soon as I hit the floor, my father burst into the hallway.

"Silena!" He cried. He ran over to me, and gently, he slipped his hands under my body and carried me into the kitchen. He gently placed me on one of the counter tops and yelled.

"Annabeth!" He screamed, and he sounded like he was going to cry.

My mom sauntered in from the back door, caked in mud. "Percy, keep your wig on. What's the-" She saw me on the counter. "Silena!"

She banged her hands together and pushed my dad away. "Percy get the ambrosia and nectar. Now!"

My dad disappeared out of the kitchen and came back about 30 seconds later holding an airtight bag full of lemon squares. I was wondering why they were panicking so much, and I lifted my hand up from my chest so I could push myself up, but when I got a glimpse of my hand I screamed as well. My hand was dripping brownish-green, and my once blue hoodie was now patchily stained with the same colour.

"Calm down Lena." My mom whispered as she slipped a small chunk of a lemon square into my mouth. Instantly my chest began to tingle slightly, and I resisted the urge to laugh. My mom opened the kitchen drawer and began to dig around inside it with one hand, the other kept on my chest. Finally she yanked out a large roll of white material and sat me up. She lifted up what was left of my tshirt and hoodie and started to wind the material around my chest.

"Done." She huffed, blowing away a lock of blonde hair that had fallen into her face.

She stepped back, as if to admire her handy work, and once she was satisfied she ran upstairs and came back down with an identical top and hoodie to what I was wearing before.

"Here you go." She said as she handed them to me. Before I slipped them on, I dared to take a glance at my wound – only to see the white bandage. It wasn't at all bloody, and my chest felt fine. I cocked my head to the side and slipped my tops over my head.

"Mom?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What did you do?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean, why do I suddenly feel like nothings happened, why do I feel 100% better?"  
Her face fell, and she sighed "Well. I guess you've found out the hard way. At least i was prepared for me first fight."

"Huh?"

My mom stayed silent and held out her hand to help me off the counter. She lead me into the living room and told me to sit.

"Your wound was poisoned, Silena. And only a Empousa could leave that sort of mark and poison you at the same time. Now tell me what happened."

I told her the full story and she sighed, not meeting my eyes. "Looks like the gifts saved your life."

"Gifts?" I say.

"Hand me your bracelet Lena." She said, and she held out her arm, her palm raised towards me.

I wriggled the silver chains off my wrist and held it out to her.

"Look away when I touch it." My mom says, and she grabs the bracelet from me, but out of curiosity, I don't look away.

I watched in awe as my bracelet made contact with my mother's skin, and spiraled outwards until it grew into a glittering circular shield, with an owl with it's wings outspread moulded onto it. I stared into the owl's intelligent eyes, and shivered. It's eyes felt like they were boring into my skull. Suddenly, the shield emitted a blinding silver light, making my flinch and cover my eyes.

"Lena!" My mom screamed as the light engulfed the room.

"Can you put it away? It's kinda bright." I moaned keeping my arms wound around my face.  
I heard a slight tapping noise, and the light faded until I felt like I could look at me mother again.

"I told you to look away Silena! That could've killed you!" She shouted.

"Killed me? How?!"

"It's made from a god's divine form!"

"What? Seriously mom, I'm not five. Just tell me the truth."

"I am Silena!"

"Of course you are!" I said, sarcasm literally dripping from me.

"I guess it's time you knew then..." She said, suddenly sad. She closed her eyes and yelled my dad's name.

I heard my fathers loud, clumsy footsteps pounding down the stairs. And as he entered the room, I noticed his face was tear stained. He locked eyes with my mom, and she nodded.

"It's time."

"Woah. This is so dramatic!" I said, even more sarcastic.

"You do not understand how much you sound like the woman we named you after when you say that." My dad smiled.

"Si' down down, Percy."

"Sorry." He grimaced, and sat down next to my mother.

Suddenly it hit me. "Oh God! Please don't tell me it's time for The Talk. It's not time for 'The Birds And The Bees' right?" I groaned.

My father burst out laughing and my mom punched him. "Sorry."  
"Quit it!"

They both looked at me.

"Silena." They said in unison.

"Have you ever learnt about Greek Mythology?" My mother asked.

"Like Zeus and Athena and Poseidon and the Minotaur and the Furies and Kronos and-"

"Yeah." My father cut in, and both he and my mom looked around the room like evil things were about to erupt from the ground.

"Well... how do I put this gently..."

"They're still alive today." My father said.

They waited to let it sink in, but I laughed. "April fools, right? I'm not stupid!"

"It's June, Silena."

"And we're telling you the truth. All things in Greek Mythology are still around today – and remember about how the gods would fall in love with mortals and have children with them? Well me and your father. We're just some of those children."

This time I let it sink in. My mother and father were... half god.

"So... who's your parents?" I said quietly, my head bowed.

"Poseidon."

"Athena."

Suddenly i couldn't take it anymore, and I jumped to my feet.  
"This is insane!" I yelled, and I lashed out.

I swept my arm across the living room table and sent all the mugs and papers and random bits and bobs flying across the room.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?! Why have you lied to me for thirteen years?"

"Silena, it's not as easy as that-"

"I don't care!" I screamed, and I lunged at my mother, but my dad grabbed me in mid air with amazing accuracy and pinned my arms behind my back.

"We were trying to protect you!" He yelled as he struggled to keep me calm.

"From what? The real world!"

"Yes!" They yelled, once again in unison.

Suddenly all the energy left my body and I slumped against my dad. He gently let my arms go, and I slid down to the floor.

"Lena?" My mom said as she crouched down next to me.

"What?" I cried, and I started sobbing into my hands.

"We're so sorry. We were just trying to keep you safe. We wanted to let you live a normal mortal life."

She gently placed her hand on my cheek, and I looked up at her, my eyes clouded with tears.

"I know." I manage to croak out.

My mom held my hand and pulled me to my feet, when a girl with choppy black hair and electric blue eyes who looked about 16, kicked down the front door.

"Thalia!" My mom and dad shouted.

"Woops." She said as she shrugged her shoulders.

She was wearing tattered jeans and a 'death to Barbie' t-shirt which didn't really match the silvery ski jacket and the ring of silver the ran around her head. Her eyes scanned the room until they fell on me, and she pointed at me.

"We need to take her to camp. Now." She said.

"What?!" My mother gasped.

"She's not safe here. They're coming."

"Who?"

"Monsters. All of the ones who you've slain. They've escaped Tartarus. My Hunters have killed most of them, but we can't keep them back forever." She said, not even bothering to address me.  
"The girl is here!" I yelled, waving my arms.

"Pipe down!" Thalia glared at me, and my mom and dad flinched.

I stood myself up and marched over to her, my anger flaring. "Don't mess with me Glitter-Girl. I've just been attacked by a vampire called Kelli – so I think I can handle you."

"Bring it on pipsqueak."

We both tapped our wrists, and two shields came into play, hers; an image of a snake headed woman that made me flinch and take a step back, and mine; the glowing circle with the owl. Thalia raised her shield as mine began to glow, but it did her no good, her shield exploded, sending bits of shrapnel flying across the room,causing my parents to fall to the floor behind me. My shield continued to glow until Thalia started to smoke.

"Silena! Put it away!" My mom screamed.

I gave Thalia one last evil glare as she began to writhe in agony, and tapped my wrist.

"You. Are. Going. To. Pay." Thalia hissed, and she slapped me across the face, and even though it was plain that she was weak, it still stung.

"Lets go then." My dad said, plainly showing that he wanted to get that over with.

"How are we gonna get there, Seaweed Brain?" My mom groaned.

"An old friend." My dad smiled and he gave an ear piercing whistle - a whistle that only a New Yorker could do. "C'mon girlies." He ushered us out of the house.

Up in the sky, a dark patch appeared, and it seemed to grow bigger by the second, until it was recognisable as four winged horses.

"Blackjack!" My mom cried.

The horses landed on the pavement, and the black one trotted over to my dad.

"Blackjack, how many times have I told you not to call me boss!"

The horse made a weird chattering noise – and I could swear he was laughing.

"Do you want a free ride or not?" A voice in my head smirked.

I took a step back, looked over to the horse, and sure enough, he was looking straight at me.

"That'a one." He said again, cocking his head to a slightly smaller black and white winged horse.

I walked over to it and hesitantly patted its nose.

"Uh. Hey there?"

"Hi! I'm Blondie, what's your name?" A pleasant female voice babbled in my head.

"Uh... Silena." I said to her, getting a few strange looks from my mom and Thalia.

"Well Silena – he he, Silena. I like that name. S-iiill-eeeeee-na. Isn't that cool?"

"Uh yeah. So are you my ride?"

"Oh yeah, forgot, sorry. Hop on!"

I looked over at my dad and he nodded at me. I jumped up onto Blondie's back and watched everyone else do the same.

"Lets go Blackjack." My dad said to his horse.

Blackjack took off running down the street, and just like an aeroplane in take off, he slowly lifted off the ground, flapping his wings steadily.

"You ready Blondie?" I asked my horse.

"You bet!" She giggled, and with a toss of her white mane, she followed after my dad and Blackjack.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Are we nearly there yet?" I groaned for about the 1000th time.

"No!" Everyone screamed at me.

"Dad?"

"Yeah Lena?"

"What are these things?" I asked, "I mean, they're horses with wings!"

"Pegasi."

I watched my dad ride with awe, he looked like he was made for that horse. And the horse seemed to trust my dad, just as much as my dad trusted the horse – no wait, pegasus.

Finally my mom sped up so she rode along side me. "There." She said fondly, and she pointed to a strawberry farm that was coming into view.

"A strawberry farm?"  
"Wait until the Mist clears, Silena."

"Mist?"

"Stops mortals from seeing the 'real' world I guess – it's the easiest way to put it." My mom sighed, looking sadly at me. "You're finally entering what we've been trying to protect you from Lena. I do hope you're ready..."  
"I am ready! I just killed a goddamn Vampire!"

"Empousa Lena." My mom said with a slight wink at me. She clicked her fingers, and looking like she was a teenager again, she made her pegasus fly faster, and she overtook my father. "Speed it up, Seaweed Brain!" She laughed.

"I thought we were too old for nicknames, Wise Girl!"

"That was then! This is now!"

I looked behind me to face a very pale Thalia who raised her eyebrows at me. A sort of understanding passed between us. "Heights?" I shouted over the rush of wind that passed me.

She nodded her head, looking like she was trying not to be sick. Suddenly her face lit up. "Downward ho!" She yelled, giving my parents a pointed looked. They both stopped abruptly and looked down, blushing brightly. Thalia smiled smugly and nose dived on her grey speckled pegasus. I followed her, and nose dived on Blondie, and wanting to show off, she tucked in her wings and rotated like a broken plane, and didn't stop until we were about 10 feet away from the grass. And i'll admit, i might've been screaming.

"Blondie!" I screamed, clinging to her neck like a life support.

"Sorry Silena." She giggled, and she let her wings spread wide, which let us slow into a smooth practiced land.

My dad landed down next to me, and I watched my mom ride confidently next to him. "You ready?" She seemed to be saying to both of us, and we both nodded.

I dismounted Blondie and told her she could go now, and I could swear her face dropped.

"But... but... I like you! You're my pal!" She seemed to cry, and she flashed her beautiful blue eyes at me.

"Don't you want to go?" I asked her.

"Never! As my daddy would say, 'I ain't leavin' you boss!' I think that's it..."

"You wanna be-"

She nodded her head enthusiastically, her mane flying everywhere. "You bet!"

I flashed her a smile and wrapped my arms around her thick neck. Finally I pulled away from her and walked over to join my parents.

"Well, it's about time!" Thalia snapped.

"Lets go." My mom groaned, giving Thalia an evil look.

My mom started running ahead, her blonde curls bouncing, and I sprinted after her, closely followed by both my dad and the She-Devil, until we stopped in a commons area, fenced by about 24 cabins. My dad began to point out who they were for but my mom cut him off.

"Let me make this easy for you Silena. Cabin 1: Zeus – only Thalia here, Cabin 2: Hera – goddess of marriage, so of course there's no kids, Cabin 3: Poseidon – Only your dad, Cabin 4: Demeter, Cabin 5: Ares - he isn't that good of a war god since your dad beat him in combat when he was only 12 -, Cabin 6: Athena - that's my cabin - , Cabin 7: Apollo, Cabin 8: Artemis – maiden goddess so kids, but the Hunters stay from time to time, Cabin 9: Hephaestus, Cabin 10: Aphrodite - most of them are jerks, but a few of them are absolute darlings -, Cabin 11: Hermes - watch your stuff around them-, Cabin 12: Dionysus, Cabin 13: Hades – you'll probably meet Nico, Cabin 14: Iris, Cabin 15: Hypnos, Cabin 16: Nemesis, Cabin 17: Nike, Cabin 18: Hebe, Cabin 19: Tyche, Cabin 20: Hecate." My mom babbled.

"And the other four?" I asked, wincing at the sudden rush of information that just entered my brain.

"For second generations like you. There are a few, though you were one of the first of the Greek."

I blush. "Seriously?"

"Being a Greek demigod is extremely dangerous." Thalia said from behind me. "Before- about 20 years ago, you probably didn't live past your early 20's, let alone settle down."

As I was letting this sink in, a huge crash from one of the 2nd generation cabins rumbled across the camp, and the cabin was engulfed in flames.

"CALLUM!" A small-ish girl with tan skin and long caramel hair screamed, her face was bright red as she emerged from the smoking cabin. My dad rolled his eyes and with a flick of his wrist, the fire was doused.

A second later, a boy with curly brown hair and darker skin, ran out of the cabin dripping wet.

"I take it that's Callum and Leah Valdez?" My mom said from behind me.

"Yep. The one and only!" The guys shouts, somehow hearing her. I watched as he walked towards us. His caramel curls bounced at every single step he took, even though they were dripping wet. He addressed my parents and Thalia cheekily, then he stood in front of me.

"Why hello there." He grins, flashing me a bright smile. He gave me an old fashioned bow. Up close, I could tell he was about 15, and he had unusual caramel coloured eyes. He took my hand, and with a flourish, kissed it. My mom and dad wolf whistled. I felt myself flush violently, and with my kissed hand, i slapped Callum in the cheek, leaving a painful red mark.  
"And I believe you've met Callum." A girls voice chirped from beside me. I turned around to see Leah – I thought – standing right next to me. "I'm Leah Valdez." She said, and she held out her hand. I shook it quickly.

"Silena. Silena Jackson." I smile.

I looked down at her hands, and gazed in amazement as beautiful flowers - lilies, to be exact - began to grow from her palm and wrap around her hand. "Shoot." She murmured, and the flowers began to recede.

"That's amazing! Who's your parents?"

"Uh, Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus, and Calypso, Daughter of the Titan Atlas." Leah said quietly, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw my dad blush at the mention of Calypso, but I didn't comment.

Suddenly from behind Leah, Callum smiled evilly, and he sents a ball of fire at Leah. She groaned and ducked before it hit her, but I didn't duck stupidly. Instead I crossed my arms in front of my face, and I noticed how my arms rippled slightly, but I didn't think anything of it. The ball hit my arms, but I didn't feel any pain. I brought them back to my sides when Leah gulped.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood." Leah said from behind, as she stared at my arms.

Which were made of pure water.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I continued to stare at my arms when suddenly I began to scream.

"Dad! What- the- GAH!" I screeched as my dad ran over to me.

"What the..." Callum said, suddenly materialising next to me. He started to try and stick his hand through my arm, but Leah restrained him.

"Callum!" She shouted, and began tugging him away by the air, which caused Thalia to roar.

"Dad? Is this natural?" I asked him, my voice shaking.

"Uh... sorry Lena but I have no clue..."  
"Maybe it's another form of a Poseidon descendent – it's not that weird considering what Frank can do." My mom said, biting her lip.

"And what can Frank do?" I asked.

Who the heck is Frank?  
"He can uh... change form..."

"Like this?" I said, and i swished my arms around.

"No... more like... change his physical form. Like change-into-a-grizzly-bear change his physical form."

I tried to calm myself down, and slowly but surely, my arms returned back to flesh and bones. I closed my eyes, and heard a familiar sound of hooves trot up behind me, so I turned around and smiled.

"Blo- you, you are not Blondie!" I gasped, taking a step back as a half-man, half-horse, that I think is called a centaur placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Indeed. I am not Blondie." He chuckled fondly. "And you, my dear, must be Silena Jackson?"  
"Uh, yeah!" I stammered, still not believing that a 2 meter high, hybrid thing was stood in front of me.

He gave me a friendly smile and turned to my my parents. "Perseus. Annabeth. Thalia." He said, addressing them all formerly, his face truly lighting up at the sight of them.

"How many times to I have to tell you Chiron. It's Percy." My dad laughed whilst try to squeeze – with major difficulty – Chiron into a hug.

"Technically it's Perseus." My mom grinned.

My dad pulls back and flashes his tongue at my mom, and she returns the gesture.

"I would never believe that those two are 40 – would you?" Chiron asked me, the smile still plastered on his face.

"Up until today? I would've." I laughed.

Chiron patted me on the shoulder and trotted up to Thalia. "Hello dearest Thalia – looking 16 as always."  
"15. Eternal maiden - remember?" Thalia sighed rudely, but she too had a massive smile on her face.

"What?!" I gasped.  
Thalia smirked at me. "The joys of being a Huntress of Artemis – immortality baby!"

"Cool!"

"You bet! You wouldn't think I was two years older than your parents." She smirked again at my reaction.

"What?!" I gasped again, and if I had some water or some food in my mouth, i though i would've had a major spit take.

"That's right, Kiddo." Thalia punched me in the shoulder. "I'll be off the cabin 8 for the night then."

She turned swiftly and headed over to the shimmering cabin, that I could've sworn was made out of real gold.

"Well. Now that introductions are done, it's time to introduce you into your cabin." Chiron smiles at me – man, does this guy ever stop smiling?

He guided me to the cabin that just a second ago was in flames. I tried to find any damage on the black cabin that was encrusted with multi coloured gemstones and sea shells but I failed to find any – it was as if the cabin was fire retardant.

"Silena, place your hand on the door." Chiron told me.

I raised an eyebrow, stepped up to the coal coloured door and placed my hand on the handle. For a second nothing happened, and I turned to face Chiron, when suddenly i felt the door ripple behind me.

"Go in."

I looked at where my hand was placed. Once solid gem, the door was now a rippling vortex of water. I took my hand from it, and instantly it returned to its solid black state. I returned my hand to the door, and it fell through as it returned to its watery look. I give Chiron one last look, and I decided to step through.

For a second, i was suspended in a mass of blue mist, when suddenly i landed - well, more like fell - into a beautiful room with no walls or windows, just white marble pillars to hold the roof, surrounded by an equally beautiful scene of a beach, a rainforest, a volcano, a graveyard, a gem quarry, a thunderstorm and strangely enough, a beauty spa. But that was all I got to see, because a girl with a black head of uncontrollable frizzy ringlet and dark skin threw her arm out towards me and multiple streams of gemstones appeared out of thin air and flew towards my head. Instinctively, I ducked, luckily avoiding my head being impaled by rubies. Panting with shock, I stood myself up as the girl walked over to me.

"Nice." She said, flashing me a grin, and she held out her hand "Name's Rani."

Instead of taking it like I would do to anyone else, I slapped her around the face like I did to Callum, but she didn't flinch, she just stared me in the eye. "What is wrong with you people! First I get attacked by a Vampire – no, an empousa! Next some creep kisses my hand and throws a fireball at me – let me repeat that – a fireball at me! then, some weirdo tosses some gems at me like a bunch of ninja stars!"

"I like your attitude." The girl said, her smile growing. "So what's ya name?"  
I sighed and threw my hands up in the air in defeat. "I give up! My name is Silena Jackson – how many times do I have to say it?"

"You've got the attitude of the Sea God – and his son." She smirked. "I take it your dad is Percy?"

I softened a bit. "Yeah, why? Who's yours?"

This time, it was her who sighed. "Frank Zhang – son of Mars, and Hazel Levesque– daughter of Pluto." She said, and her eyes began water.

"What happened to them?" I asked her, taking the clue.

"My mom? Well her curse killed her – when she gave birth to me, I was given the gift of Pluto – riches. And my dad?" She took in a shaky breath. "He hated me. He turned into a real son of Mars when I was 3 and he started to- to hit me. Every time I'd bring up my mother, he'd hit me harder." Suddenly tears sprung out of her eyes. "Mars took pity on me – which is a miracle in itself – and sent my dad to the Fields of Punishment. Whilst he was still alive that is."

I felt like crying with her after she finished, and I had to wipe away a single tear that had fallen.

"Oh don't feel sorry for me! It's made me who I am. I'm the better daughter of Mars. You see, when my grandpa sent my dad – downstairs – he passed his talents to me, but he took away my family gift - being able to change into animals. So I have the gift of war, and the gift of riches." She growled as she wiped her tears away. "What's your story?"

"I, uh, don't really have one."

"Oh come one!"  
"Fine!" I snapped. "All my life I was hidden from the Real World. And today when I was attacked by an empousa, I was told-"

"You survived?!"

"Uh yeah?"

"How?"

"My bracelets."  
Rani raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I slapped my luminous green trident charm, and suddenly, the familiar silvery-blue sword appeared. At the sight of it, Rani took a step back and grinned.

"And the other one?" She coaxed.

"Too dangerous to have out – unless I'm in battle. Apparently it's made from a god's true divine form. Anyway, back on track. So after I killed the Empousa, my mom treated me of it's poison and her and my dad told me about their world – and who I was. Oh, and I got a pegasus today."

"Cool?"

"Anyway. Where do we actually sleep?" I asked Rani.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Where do you feel most drawn to?" She asked me.

"Huh?"  
"What part of the surroundings are you most drawn to?" She repeated.

I scanned the surroundings again until my eyes laid on the beach. "There." I pointed.

"Walk to it."  
"But it's miles away!"  
"Your door's there. It's the only way to get to your living quarters."

I sighed and took a couple steps towards the beach until I was out of the pavilion. I carried on walking, and with every step I took, it seemed that i was walking half the distance, until I was standing in the bubbling surf. I looked back to Rani and she gave me an encouraging smile and a thumbs up.

"Carry on!" She yelled.

I looked at the crashing sea before me and back back Rani, but she had gone so I took a deep breath and for some stupid reason, I felt compelled to dive into the shallow water, but when I did the water instantly deepened so that I was already 60 meters underwater with one dive. I kept on swimming until I reached another cabin. It was about 6 meters tall and looked exactly like my dad's cabin, but everywhere, owls decorated it.

I took one last look at the surface and swam to the place that I would now call home.


	5. Chapter 5

I stood on the steps to my new home and placed my hand on the door handle. Just as the first door did, this door melted under my touch and rippled. I stepped into it and was transported into a – dry – room. I scanned the room to take it in. Inside I found a white marble bed frame with a blue matching bedspread, a large TV set, a regular sized, white wardrobe, and a couple of other doors scattered around the room. I slowly walked over to the bed, and found an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt neatly folded on top of the covers. I changed into it.

"Hello Silena." A pretty said from behind me. I spun on my heel to find myself nose to nose with a girl with kaleidoscope eyes and blonde hair. "Ugh. Gross." She muttered as I pushed myself away.

She wiped invisible dirt off from her clothes and glared at me. "Just to let you know Darling, I'm the leader here. I'm Tiana Grace. My grandfather is Jupiter. King of the gods. So don't you think for a second that just because your dad is the 'Hero of Olympus', that you over take me. Okay?"

I glared right back. "And what do you mean by that?!" I hissed, and the temperature around us dropped.

"I mean that just because you think you're the 'It Girl', the next child of the prophecy, that you're more important than me. To be honest? It'd be easier to get rid of you now. It'd save us all."

The room dropped a couple of degrees colder.

"Pardon?" I snapped.

"I'm not gonna try to explain it. I'll just let the gods deal with you themselves." She smirked, and with a click of her fingers, she disappeared, leaving the smell of ozone behind.

I tried to calm myself down, but I couldn't. What did she mean by 'The next child of the prophecy'? I racked my brain trying to figure out why, but nothing came to mind – which is something big for me, after all I had just found out that my grandmother was Athena.

I walked over to my door and placed my hand on it. I took a step through the ripples and swam to the surface of my little ocean, and as my head broke the surface, I spotted a young girl – maybe about 8 or 9 – sitting on the beach. Slowly, trying not to scare her, I walked to the beach as soon as my feet hit a sandbar. Finally when I was a couple meters away from her, I dared to speak.

"Hello?" I said, trying to keep my voice friendly.

"Hello." The little girl replied without moving.

I took a few more steps and sat hesitantly next to her. "What's your name?"

This time she looked at me. Her skin was deathly pale, and her hair was a jet black bob. But the most shocking thing about her was her eyes. Whilst mine radiated the sea, hers radiated death. The deadly blue stared into my bright green.

"Marina." She said quietly, and suddenly she looke away from me, her eyes wide.

"What's the matter Marina?" I asked her.

"Nothing. I just like it at the beach."  
"Are you a granddaughter of Poseidon too?" I said excitedly.

"Oh gods no!" She exclaimed. "There's only one demigod granddaughter of Poseidon – and that's you Silena."

"How did you know that?" I asked her, and I scooted away from her slightly.

"Eyes are the windows to the soul." She said calmly.

"Huh?"

"Never let your guard down. Someday it'll kill you."  
"Marina, what do you mean?" The kid was making no sense now, and she was beginning to scare me.

"I can read who you are just by looking into your eyes. I know all about you. I know your past, I know your present, and I know your future. It's my talent."

I locked eyes with her, but she cringed away from me.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Your future has changed. It's too dangerous for a child to undertake."

My pulse began to race at what she was saying. What did she mean? She was only an eight year old girl with a slightly overactive imagination. Wasn't she?

"Marina, just give me a straight answer!"

"I can't. No-one's life is plain enough for a straight answer. Yours? Well it's as un-plain as you can get."  
Marina gave me one last look and sauntered off towards the graveyard. I stared at her and wonder how such a young child can have so much confidence in her stride when she looked so fragile, so broken.  
I started to walk towards the pavilion, when a blinding light surrounded me. I instinctively closed my eyes as the light brightened, and suddenly everything went dark again. I opened my eyes to see a tall woman figure standing in the pavilion, and she beckoned to me. I rushed over to her and stopped short when I realised who it was.

"Lady Athena." I said as I bow down to her. She may be my family – but she was still a goddess.

"Such manners for a child who has just learnt. Stand Silena."

I stood tall and stared into the grey eyes of my grandmother. "Uh... welcome."

"Remember what I told you Silena. You have six days now. You must train. I came here to give you one last final warning – when you leave for your quest, you shall receive no help from the gods. Where you roam will be out of reach from any god. You will cross paths with monsters that have not stirred for thousands of years. You must all use all of your gifts to survive." She said.

I looked at my grandmother and for some reason, I surged forward and enclosed her into a hug. Quickly enough, I let her go. "I'm sorry." I stuttered.

"I forgive you child. I will help you – and your friends - as much as I can, but there is only so much a goddess can do."

I watched my grandmother disappear with a loud pop, when Rani appeared next to me.

"Well... we better get you ready. You've just been issued a quest by a goddess." She smirked.

"A quest that I have no idea what to do!"

"Hey, you got six days!"  
"I can't handle a sword!"

Suddenly a huge, sword shaped onyx appeared in her hands. "Lets see." Rani laughed as she flips her sword around in her hands.

I tapped my trident, and as soon as i do, I watch it as it morphs into my sword. I continued to stare at it, until I heard Rani swing her sword with a grunt. I leaped out of its path just as it swung across my stomach. She swung her sword again, but that time I raised my sword to meet hers.

I pushed my sword down until it rested on her hilt, and with the rest of my force, I thrust downwards. Instead of her sword clattering to the floor like I intended, Rani pushed upwards with her sword, and I slide through her legs. Like - literally through her legs. I watched as my body took it's solid form again before I swung my sword, but my body still wavered, as if it was on edge, deciding whether or not to be liquid, or to be human. Our swords collided, and I got a brief glimpse of my blade. Once a simple silver sword, Aquatics's sharp blade was now engraved with intricate wave and owl designs, and the hilt and handle was shaped like a trident - the metal of the sword fusing with the three black heads.

I forced myself out of my self induced trance, and I swung my sword for another attack, and by some miracle, I disarmed Rani, and finished with pointing my sword tip to her throat. She gulped, and the the blade scratched lightly against her windpipe.

"Okay. You win. You definitely win." She gulped again, and she pushed my blade away. She dusted herself off and met my eyes. "No-one's beaten me in five years – and that includes monsters and demigods alike. You're pretty good, but we just need to fine tune some of your skills."

I let my sword grow back into my bracelet pendant. "So what do I do now?"  
"What do we do now?" Rani corrected me. "Well, first we visit Rachel."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

"C'mon Silena! It's only a few hundred meters from here!" Rani yelled from a couple of feet above my head.

She hauled herself up onto a ledge and waited for me to follow her. My arms were feeling like acid, but I found a good handhold and I pulled myself up. I continued to haul myself up the cliff face until I somehow managed to clamber up onto the ledge where Rani awaited me.

"You took you time!" She grinned.

"So... where's this Rachel?"  
"Well, she's just over there." Rani said, and she pointed to a cave behind her. "Rachel's our Oracle and, uh, she usually comes to us when we need her – but this time she deserves a house visit."

I stared at her until she sighed.

"Come on already." She said, and she started to walk into the cave.

I jogged to catch up with her, and I found myself walking into a Greek-Fire lit, stone walled, passageway. I followed Rani as she lead me through a complex maze until we reached a normal looking, electric lighted room. Inside, the stone walls were covered in sheets of painted canvas and paper, and half finished paintings were scattered around the room, some propped up against the wall, some lying on the floor and some stood on easels. In the centre of the room, a pale skinned woman, with red frizzy hair stood splattering paint against yet another canvas.

"Hey Rachel!" Rani cried, and she walked straight through the minefield.

The woman turned around and looked straight past Rani, and straight into me. For a moment her green eyes bore into mine, then suddenly she screeched.

"Oh my gods! Silena! I've been waiting so long to meet you!" She jumped up and down and clapped her hands like a deranged teenager. She ran over to me, not seeming to are when she stood on some of her artwork, and squeezed me into a bone-crushing hug. "I haven't seen you since you were a baby!" She squealed.

"Uh... hi?" I said against her arms.

"Oh, I forgot," Rachel said when she let me go. "I'm Rachel – but I'm pretty sure you know that. I'm the host of the Spirit of Delphi – Oracle of the Greeks. And I was given lease by Apollo himself to be your godmother!"

"Wait. Rewind!"

"Silena, I've known your parents since they were kids. I first met your dad when he went on a quest to save Artemis and Annabeth – and I met your mom a year later. And _believe _me we _did not _get on. After I lifted the curse of Hades on the Oracle, me and your mom became friends when your dad went missing."  
"So what's your parentage?" I ask her.

She rolled her eyes. "Mr and Mrs Dare."

"Who's your godly parent?"  
"I don't have one!"

"You're mortal?"  
"Yep!"

"_Anyway_," Rani said. "We need a prophecy please Rachel."  
"Sure – ask away!" She grinned, and she pulled her wacky curls into a ponytail.

Rani grabbed a stool for Rachel to sit on before asking.

"What's the quest that Athena bestowed upon Silena?"  
Rachel's eyes glowed a florescent green, and green mist spewed from her mouth, enveloping the entire cave.

"_Eight shall delve into the deepest pits of Hell,_

_Only seven shall return safe and well,_

_Families lost to the giant's reign,_

_More skills each hero shall gain,_

_They stand undefended, the heroes stand alone,_

_From children of Greece as well as Rome." _Rachel said, her voice low and eerie.

Her words bounced off the walls when suddenly, Rachel collapsed, but neither me nor Rani run to help her. The mist returned to Rachel's mouth, and I lock eyes with Rani.

She broke my gaze and helped Rachel back into a sitting position, and she pressed her hands to her temples. "What happened?" She croaked, her voice slowly returning to normal.

"You gave a prophecy all right." Rani gulped.

"Oh gods, was it _that _bad?" Rachel cried.

I nodded and Rani grabbed my elbow. "Thanks Rachel – really. But please don't tell Chiron we were here."

Rachel nodded slowly and Rani guided me back out of the Oracle's maze, until we reached the ledge.

"You ready to climb?" Rani asked me, and I mentally noted how pale she was.

"We don't have to climb." I said, and I gave a New Yorker's whistle - a whistle that my dad had taught me.

For a moment, nothing happened, but suddenly in the distance I noticed a small dark splodge in the sky.

_"Hey Silena!"_ Blondie said in my head.

I waved her down and she landed next to me.

"Can you carry us both?" I asked her, gesturing to both me and Rani.

_"That's insulting! Of course I can!"  
_I told Rani to climb on, and when she got comfortable, I clambered on after her. "Lets go Blondie!" I said, and she responded by flapping her wings.

Blondie flew us down to the common ground between the cabins, I jumped off first and helped Rani down.

"Thanks Blondie." I called as she flew off.

_"No problem Lena!"_

"Uh, thanks for that." Rani said from beside me.

"Don't worry."  
"We'll talk later about... you know..."  
"Sure." I said, and Rani walked over to Cabin 23.

I took a deep breath and walked over to Cabin 6 and knocked on the door. A girl a couple years older than me answered.

"Yeah?"

"Is my mom- I mean Annabeth here?"

"Yeah, she's just leaving now. She hasn't shut up about you Silena."  
"Seriously! How does _everyone _know my name?!"

"Your parents are the saivours of Olympus and the world twice over – it doesn't really surprise me that every knows your name."

I pushed past her and entered the Athena cabin. Around me kids with blonde hair and grey eyes bustled around, reading books or talking about smart stuff. Finally I found my mom in the back of the room.

"Hey mom." I smiled and I sat down on her bunk.

She slipped her arm around me and pulled me close. "How's your day been?"

"Pretty eventful. I've had gems thrown at my head, I've fallen out with a granddaughter of Jupiter, I've found out that I'm gonna have a dangerous future, I've had a visit from Athena, I've had a sword fight and I got a scary prophecy from my godmother."

"Well. That's worse than my first day." She laughed, and she pointed at a discoloured photograph on her bedside table. "Can you see this? Well this is a picture of me and your father on our one month anniversary – he took my to Paris!"

"Really?!"

"With a little help from the god of messengers."

"That's awesome!"  
"I guess it was. Silena, I need you to promise me something," She said and she looked into my eyes. "Me and your dad have to go somewhere. We want you to stay here and train. Do not leave Camp unless you have Chiron or Argus with you – we want you to be safe."

"Where have you got to go?"  
"We can't tell you – we don't even know where we have to go, and we don't want you to come with us."  
"Why not?"

"It's too dangerous for an under trained demigod."

I sighed.

"Mom?"

"Yeah Lena?"

"I love you. I want you and dad to come back to me."

"Of course we will, Lena!" My mom gasped, and she hugs me, but when she pulled away, she had tears streaming down her face. "You're getting rid of us that easily!"

Around us, the cabin had gone silent. "What do you want!" My mom yelled, and all her siblings carried on doing what they were doing in a frenzy.

"Silena, I want you to know something. Me and you father would never leave you forever. We'll always come back for you. If we disappear, remember that we'll return – always. We love you" She said quietly - almost inaudibly -, and she rested her forehead on mine.

"Mom, you're saying this like you think that some thing's gonna happen to you. Just tell me what it is."

"I can't Silena."

"_Why?_"

"I just can't! Silena, it's getting late now. You should go to your cabin and get some sleep – you're gonna need to get some training done tomorrow."

I kissed my mom on the cheek, and I left her cabin, but not before I saw her break down in another round of tears. When I closed the door behind me, I was tempted to go right back in there and comfort her, but I knew I couldn't, so I stumbled through the darkness until I was able to place my hand against cabin 23's door, and finally, I stepped through. I found my way to my beach and swam to my cabin. I stepped through the rippling door until I stood in my cabin. I walked to my bed, and as I laid down on it, I noticed that my cabin roof was one sheet of glass, so I could watch all the marine life swim above me. Eventually, I fell asleep watching a sea monster thrash about, whilst I thought about the prophecy.

_Eight shall delve into the deepest pits of Hell,_

_Only seven shall return safe and well,_

_Families lost to the giant's reign,_

_More skills each hero shall gain,_

_They stand undefended, the heroes stand alone,_

_From children of Greece as well as Rome._

What does it mean?

**What do you think? I've tried to make it a bit better than before. Sorry :(**


	7. Chapter 7

**Before i write in the story, I'm going to reply to the reviews of my most frequent review-er: icefire. That's for everyone's reviews, but since icefire is the only person to ask me questions, so i'm gonna answer them :3**

**Number 1:**  
**OMG go Rani and great chappie!**  
**but seriously, you had to kill Hazel?**  
**and Frank! I mean, we all know hes a doofus but you had to make him bad?**  
**hey are Jason and piper gonna have kids too? I hate that couple but kids are always interesting :D**

**My answer:**  
**Yes, i had to kill Hazel, otherwise I'd have to kill her later on in the story - and i didn't want to do that, as she's one of my favorites out of the seven. I thought the curse would kill her sooner or later.**  
**And yes again, I had to make Frank bad because I didn't want the seven to all be exactly like they were as teenagers. I wanted them to have gone through life, and to have suffered, so it made them all different people.**  
**And finally, you've already met one of my fictional Jasper children - figure out who it is. Oh, and you might meet two more of them later on.**

**Number 2:**  
**aww, your chapters are not suckish! but I think that if no one has beaten Rani in five years, Silena, untrained and inexperienced, would not be able to beat her on the first try, even if she had a natural talent for swordfighting. think, Percy is a sword fighting whiz but even he couldn't beat luke on the first try. and also, I always think of the spirit of Delphi telling prophecies in her own time, not on demand.**  
**other then that, youre doing a great job and I love the cliffhanger at the end. :)**

**My answer:**  
**I did the battle just how Percy beaten Luke on his first try - remember how, after he'd poured the water over his head, he disarmed Luke? Well i tried to theme it like that, because not long before the battle, Silena had come out of her UNDERWATER cabin. so she'd still have some extra strength from it.**  
**I know that sometimes the Oracle doesn't give the prophecy's on demand, but every so often she will. Remember TLT, TBOTL, and TLH? The Oracle does then :)**

**Okay, sorry for that waste of time, here's chapter 7**

A girl with filthy blonde curls screams.

Her face, already streaked with dirt and grime, contorts as huge tears roll down out of her startling grey eyes. She fights against the two burly teenagers who hold her back from what she's trying to reach and they struggle to keep her under control as they, and the two girls either side of them sob uncontrollably.

"Let me go!" She screams again, and she thrashes even more.

"We can't! We want to, but we can't!" They blonde haired boy cries, and he sniffs loudly.

"Jason! What if it was Piper?!" The girl screams, and she kicks out.

The boy doesn't answer. But a loud droning sound – like rock against rock – echoes around in the dark, filling in the silence. A girl with choppy brown hair, and dark skin tries to calm the blonde girl down, but it doesn't work. She carries on crying and screaming as the loud noise increases. My vision moves so that I focus on two large sheets of rock, on one side of them, a short pale boy with long black hair stands pushing, and on the other, a tall tan teenager with green eyes and black hair pushes as well.

"Nico, it's not working!" He sobs.

Both the boys carry on pushing and the rock moves.

"Please, help me push it from this side!" The short boy says. He's not crying, but his voice is pained and tight.

"I can't Nico. The doors have to be closed from both sides!"

My vision changes once again, so that it's split in half like a multi player video game screen. One side stays focused on the two boys, and the other shows me the scene of the blonde girl screaming.

A shortish boy with elvish features shakes as he watches the scene, but he does nothing. A dark skinned girl with curly brown hair weeps next to the tall, buff Chinese kid. Suddenly the blonde girl tries to surge forward, and nearly does, but her two captures quickly restrain her, but somehow more tears stream down her face in a constant flow.

"What happened to never letting me get away from you again Percy?!" She screams, her voice echoing in the cavern.

Everything goes silent as my view zooms in onto both of their faces. The green eyed boy looks straight at me, and so does the blonde girl, - but I get the feeling that they're actually looking at each other – and for what seems like the first time, he speaks to her.

"I love you." He says loudly, and the words bounce off the walls.

Before the girl can register what he says, his face white with pain and effort, he throws his body against he small crack still in the rock, and it slams shut with a humongous _crash. _The girl stiffens at the noise, but she doesn't say anything. Instead she lets her body go slack, and she collapses onto her knees, her arms still held above her head by her guards. They let go of her just as she snaps. Her whole body quakes and she sobs so loudly, like half of her body had been cut away whilst she was alive, and she'd had to endure the pain. Then she places her head into her hands and screams.

I woke up screaming. I thrust my hands up to my face and felt the hot tears that streamed down my warm cheeks. Slowly my sobs began to subside, and my heart rate fells back to normal. I pieced my thoughts together and realised something about my dream. I remembered _all _of the people.

And the blonde girl was my mom.

I threw myself out of bed and changed into a pair of denim shorts and my CHB t-shirt. I slipped on my pair of white trainers and I made my way to the pavilion, where I waited for Rani.

"Hey." She said half-heartedly as she sat on the cold marble floor next to me. Hey eyes were surrounded in black skin.

"Hey."  
"You had the dream too?"  
I sighed. "Yeah. This is my first bad dream since the empousa attack."

"What did you see?"  
"My parents. Dark cavern. My mom was screaming and crying and my dad closed rock."

"Same. But your parents, not mine. Silena, answer me honestly now. Do you know _anything _about your parent's demigod life?" Rani said, looking me in the eyes.

"No. Nothing apart from their parents."

Rani broke my gaze. "Well, where do I begin? I'll start with your mom. She ran away from home when she was seven, and her mom - Athena - guided her to two older demigods and a satyr – Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus-"  
"_What?! Thalia?!"_

"You've met her?"  
"Yeah!"

"Cool. Anyway, her mom guided her to Thalia, Luke Castellan – son of Hermes and Grover Underwood – satyr, and now Lord of The Wild. They were chased by monsters every step of their journey until they reached Half Blood Hill. Thalia gave her life for your mom, Luke and Grover, and when she was dying, Zeus took pity on her and turned her into a tree. Your mom trained at camp for five years until your dad came along. He fought the Minotaur at Half Blood Hill where it took his mother. Your mom and dad went on many quests together in the 4 years they knew each other. They saved each other's lives so many times. Then the second Titan War came. Luke hosted lord Kronos's spirit and nearly killed Annabeth, but he killed himself and became the hero of the prophecy - which at first was thought to be your father. Then the next year – a few months after your dad _finally _admitted to liking your mom - he disappeared, and about another year later, your mom and dad were reunited and they set off on the quest to stop Gaea rising along with Piper Mclean – daughter of Aphrodite, Jason Grace - Son of Jupiter, Leo Valdez – son of Hephaestus, Hazel Levesque – daughter of Pluto and Frank Zhang – son of Mars. Your mom and dad fell into Tartarus and your dad closed the doors of death from the inside. No-one knows how he got out."

"Woah."  
"Is that all you can say? Woah! If my parents were the heroes of the world twice over i'd be saying something a little stronger than woah!"

"Sorry." I cringed "I guess I'm not used to thinking of my parents as heroes."  
"C'mon then," Rani said and she got up. "Lets go train."

She held out her hand to me. I took it and she yanked me up. Rani travelled through the door first, and I noticed how colourful her vortex was compared to mine – reds, blues, purples, whites, oranges, pretty much every single beautiful colour. I placed my hand and step through my watery door until I bumped into Callum and fell backwards, hitting my head on the now solid door.

"OW!" I yelled, rubbing my throbbing head.

"Oh my gods, I am _so _sorry Silena, really and I didn't mean to and I didn't see you and all, and-" Callum gushed, and he tried to help me up but I shoved him hard in the chest, forcing him away.

"Get _off _of me!" I hissed.

I stood myself up, and I pushed him further away from me. I stalked over to Rani, and she just stared at me.

"Harsh, much?" She scowled, concern clear in her face.

I turned around to face Callum, and quickly saw the hurt that flashed across his face, but it was quickly covered by his trademark trouble maker looks. I started to run back over to him but Rani grabbed my shoulder and forced my back. "Too late for that girly, damage has already been done."

"What do you mean?"  
"He has trust issues. It comes from his dad I guess – he was the seventh wheel."

"Oh."

"Lets go before you cause any more damage." Rani sighed, and she dragged me to the training arena.

We both ground to a halt, as we watched Leah train. She stood about 10 feet away from a homemade dummy, and she spread her legs shoulder width apart. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and she thrusted out her hands in front of her. For a moment nothing happened, and she stood looking stupid, holding her arm out. Her face began to grow red, and suddenly the ground rumbled around the dummy. Huge, razor-like tendrils tangled themselves around it. The vines began to increase speed, until all that was visible was a green tornado, until the vines ground to a stop, fell off what was left of the mangled dummy and sunk back into the ground.

We stood there in awed silence as Leah caught her breath, when suddenly Rani clapped. "That. Was. _Awesome!" _She shrieked, and she ran over to a scared looking Leah.

Rani squeezed her into a bone crushing hug. "How did you do that?!"  
"My mom is talented with plants, so I guess it just grew within me? Oh. Pardon the pun." Leah gasped as Rani let her go.

"That's putting it lightly!" I grinned, and I jogged over to her. "Well done."

I patted her lightly on the back and took a look at the used-to-be-dummy, which was now just a pile of straw and fabric.

"I've been teaching myself to do that for years now." Leah said quietly, following my gaze.

"Teaching yourself?"

"Not all smart people are Athena's, Silena." Leah grinned, and she punched me in the stomach.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" I yelled, clutching my stomach.

"Always keep your guard up." She smirked, and she threw another punch, but this time at my face. I grabbed her hand just as it touched my nose, and I somehow threw her to the ground.

"Is my guard up enough?" I asked her, as I rested my foot lightly on her chest.

"No." She smiled, and suddenly I felt ropes wrap around my leg and waist.

I looked down, and my confidence dropped. I watched in terror as the vines I thought were ropes tightened their grip around me and pulled me to the ground. Leah stood up, and the ground opened up below me, and I started screaming.

For some reason I had an irrational fear of empty darkness, deep pits and spiders – and right below me was my fears combined.

"Let me go!" I screamed as I felt myself being lowered into the pit, watching the sunlight go out of view. "Please!"

I started to sob as a huge spider scuttled across my hand onto a newly grown vine.

"LEAH!" Rani shouted, and she rugby tackled her down.

I felt the vines loosen their grip on me and I closed my eyes, waiting to fall into the endless depths, but instead I felt a hard sheet of smooth rock smash into my back. I began to rise slowly, and suddenly I felt myself stop after about 30 seconds of movement. I continued to sob. In the midst of my cried, I heard a familiar _shh_-ing sound, and I opened my eyes.

Right in front of me, Rani stood, her eyes were wide and watering with terror, as a man with shaggy black hair held a sword to her throat.

"_What the Hades did you do to her!"_ He shouts.

Rani closed her eyes as he raised his hand above his head.

"_DAD!_"


	8. Chapter 8

"Dad! What are you doing!" I screamed, and my dad swung his head to the side to look at me.

His face flushed a dark crimson as he looked back at his raised hand, and then back to Rani, who started to sob worse that me – and I realise why.

It's just like her dad did to her.

"Get. _Off_. Of. Her." I hissed, my tears coming to a standstill.

My dad froze as I stalked towards him, slapping my trident bracelet and thrusting Aquatics against his neck.

"Let go." I said, my voice calm and steady, even though inside, an earthquake was shaking my soul.

I locked eyes with him, challenging him to a silent showdown, and I didn't back down, not even to glance at Rani.

"Well?" I asked him, and I cocked my head to the side.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Rani snap out of her terror and manifest her black gemstone sword out of nothingness and hold it towards his neck just as I did. I also noticed how Leah laid splayed out on the floor, unconscious.

I pushed my sword forward a miniscule amount into his neck, and a single, small drop of blood caught at the tip of the blade.

"Get that thing away from me Lena." My dad growled, a fierce look in his eyes that I've never seen before today and I saw how his eyes began to glow.

I pulled back, and signaled for Rani to do the same. She did, and I made Aquatics return to its dormant bracelet form.

"What were you doing to them!" I asked him.

"They were hurting you!" He yelled.

"No. It was training!"

"Taken to far!"

"Shut up dad!" I yelled at him, and his face dropped, though his eyes glew a faint golden colour under his green.

"What is wrong with you Silena. You're not _my _little girl."

This time it was my face that dropped. "What?" I squeaked.

"You've changed, Silena. You're not my little girl any more."

"Daddy!" I yelled, not caring about Rani or Leah anymore, as he turned to walk away from me.

"And don't call me daddy." He said, his face plain from emotion.

I started to run after him, but Leah – now fully awake – sent vines to restrain me. "It's not him, Lena." She said calmly, but her face was strained.

"Daddy!" I screamed, not listening to her, but Rani grabbed my arms to stop me from cutting the vines. "Please! Let me go talk to him!" I sobbed.  
"I can't Lena. Thanks for protecting me – but now it's my turn to protect you." Rani said, her face placid.

"Let me go!" I shouted, and I started to pummel her arms desperately.

Rani nodded towards Leah sadly, and their grips on me loosened until I was able to rip the vines from my body. I gave them both desperate looks, and sprinted off after my dad. Finally, I saw him about 30 meters away from me, talking to a dark skinned girl with long, choppy hair – well she was talking to him. She glared at him with so much ferocity as she spoke, I realised I remembered that glare. She was Tiana's mother. The woman grips onto my fathers elbows as she started to shout at him, and I began to hear what she was saying.

"You promised to never to return to this body, and I still hold you to that promise!" She hissed, and I dared to step closer, until I was about 10 meters away.

"We do not take orders from mortals." My dad said, his face twisted into a cruel sneer. But I noticed that his voice was different – more horrible.

"I'm no mortal, eliodon. My mother is Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. But I still hold you to your promise." The woman said, and suddenly, her hard voice went low and beautiful. "_You are to leave this body as you promised. You are to never to return to this body – never. Once I finish this sentence you will leave." _

My dad's eyes quickly flashed back to green, before they rolled back into his head, and he collapsed into the ground.

"DAD!" I screamed and surged towards him.

"_Don't worry honey, your dad is going to be fine._" The woman said, in the same voice as before. I felt myself waver, and I stopedp, mid-step. "Hi there Silena. I'm Piper. I'm a friend of your parents." She grinned.

"Uh. How does everyone here know me, but I don't know them?"

She grinned wider. "Your parents trying to keep you safe, I guess."  
"From what? You?"  
"Silena, don't mock. I'm very dangerous. If I told you to go jump off that balcony, you'd do it." She said, and she gestured to the Big House.

"Really? Well if I held out my shield, you'd die." I said sarcastically.

She laughed. "You are _just _like your mother, you know that?"

"Okay. Who _am_ I like? My mother? My father? The woman I was named after? Cause, right now, I'm _slightly_ confused here!"  
"You're like them all. That's why you're so unique Silena. You have the skills of Poseidon, the wisdom and intelligence of Athena and the beauty of Aphrodite."

"How did Aphrodite come in to this equation?!"  
"The woman you were named after was my sister. Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite."

"And how do I have her beauty? I was only _named _after her!"  
"Well. If you're named after a child of Aphrodite – or Aphrodite herself – it's only right you inherit something. It's a gift, I guess."

"But what if I wasn't purposely named after Silena?"  
"Then you wouldn't have your beauty."

I stared at her like she had gone mad. One: I'm _not _beautiful. Two: It's impossible for someone to inherit a genealogical trait from someone they have no relation to – it just is! But then again, I'm related to two gods – and I have about one million secret family members.

Okay. Maybe not _that _many.

Suddenly, a sound of which I recognise to be a conch shell rang clear, and Piper looked at me again. "Time for breakfast Silena. You've had one heck of a morning." She smiled.

I glanced at my father, who was still crumpled on the floor.

"Oh don't worry about him," She said, following my gaze. "I'll help you dad."

"You sure?"  
"Well, I don't really want your mother to be on my case for doing this to him – even if she is my best friend!" Piper laughed - a pretty tinkling sound - and winked at me. "Catch ya later kiddo."

Suddenly I felt a hand clap onto my shoulder. "C'mon kiddo!" Rani laughed, trying to impersonate Piper. "Lets-a go-a get us some-a breakfast!"

I shook my fondly at her, and I let her drag me to the mess hall, where Leah stood talking to Callum.

"Hey guys!" I smiled and started to rush over to them, but Callum looked at me sadly, and I forced myself to stop.

His caramel eyes watered gently, and his usually cheerful, happy face, now hung sadly. His body slumped ever so slightly, and even though he was ADHD, he didn't move. And whilst he stood like this, he didn't look like the bouncy 15 year old that he was, but a seven year old at most.

"Callum, I'm really sorry about earlier..." I say quietly, not meeting his flitting gaze.

For a moment we stood there, silent, until he grinned his usual elvish grin. He quickly rushed over and gave me a hug, and over his shoulder, I notice Leah trying to hide her laughter, whilst giving Rani a knowing look.

"Well _that _escalated quickly!" Rani laughed.

"Okay, that's enough hugging." I manage to choke out, as Callum tightened his grip on me.

"Sorry." He laughed, pulling himself away.

We all stood there laughing until suddenly Tiana, and two other boys who looked identical to her appeared next to us.

"What's so funny?" She asked, sneaking me a glare.

"Oh, it's nothing." Rani hissed.

Tiana tears her glare from me, and stared at Callum, a smile appearing on her face. "Hey Cals!" She laughed, and she trotteds over to him, swinging her hips with every step.

When she got near enough, she squeezed him into a hug, and planted a kiss on his lips. "Did you miss me?" She asked him, her voice sickly sweet.

"Not really." He muttered quietly.

I suppressed my laughter when I realise that Tiana didn't hear that, and she babbled on talking. "I missed you loads! Even though I saw you last night, I still missed you-"

That time I did double over. "Seriously girl?" I let rip a huge snort. "You are pathetic!"

The sky rumbled as she turned to face me. "What?"  
"You are pathetic."

"Excuse me?" The sky darkened, and all the cabins stared at me and Tiana.

"Don't make me say it again." I hissed, and I felt my body starting to liquefy.

Her face twisted and she held out her hand to me. Instantly, I remembered what she said to me.

_My grandfather is Jupiter. Lord of the skies._

My eyes widened slightly, and I tapped my wrist as a huge arc of electricity shot through the sky and bounced off my shield, making a couple trees go up in flames. I felt my body turn to water with the blast, and Tiana squealed.

"YOU FREAK!" She screamed, and she let another bolt loose.

"I'm a freak because I can become water huh? Not bad considering you're smoking right now." I laughed as I held out my shield to her and she immediately started to smoke.

She screamed.

"Get that away from me!" She cried, and her hands begans to spark.

I smirked at her, and tapped my shield. "Oh, did diddums get hurt?" I said, my voice falsetto.

"Shut up." She snarled as she paced towards me.

When she was about five feet away from me, she clapped her hands and another arc of lightning traveled through the sky. All the campers screamed and following her lead, I clapped my now solid hands out of instinct, and the earth below me shakes. The campers screamed again, and they started to scramble out of the mess hall.

"You scared yet?" Tiana smirked, thinking she's won.

"Not in the least." I replied, and I clapped my hands again.

The earth rumbled, and started to crack.

From behind me, I heard Rani shout to Leah, and she tried to weave the ground back together with vines. "That's enough guys!" They both screamed, but i barely heard them over the thunder.

The ground shook worse the next time I clapped, and suddenly I heard a loud shout.

"SILENA!"  
"TIANA!"

I turned around for a split second, and Tiana hit me in the head with yet another lightning bolt, and I was forced to the shaking, split, ground. Over the crest of a hill, I saw five adults sprint. One with long blonde hair, one with short, one with short black hair, one with long brown hair and one with short curly, brown hair.

I heard Tiana cackle, and I threw my arm out towards her, and a wave started to descend upon her. As it started to get close, it changed course. I jumped up, and looked behind me to see my mom, dad, Piper, and two other men getting closer to us, screaming at us to stop. My dad glared at me, and the wave receded back into the lake.

"Silena Jackson!"  
"Tiana Grace!"

We both silenced ourselves as our parents ran out onto the broken mess hall.

"What. Have. You. _Done_!" My dad, and the blonde man yell at us.

Around us, the sky slowly brightened again, and Leah managed to weave the broken earth back together again/

Suddenly, both me and Tiana cried out and pointed at each other.  
"SHE STARTED IT!"

**What do you think? Please review, and i'll update faster :D**


	9. Chapter 9

"I thought better of you Silena!" My mom said whilst dragging me back to my cabin.

"I haven't even had breakfast!" I groaned at her, trying to bat her hands away..

"_I _don't care! You shouldn't have destroyed everything!"

After all our parents had got to mine and Tiana's fight, we had got ourselves in hugeTrouble. And that was trouble with a capital T. Our parents had to sort out the mess hall: fixing the marble, repairing the ground fully etc. etc. and all of us had to help. It was long gruelling work that took us a couple of hours.

"Do I at least get to have dinner?" I whined.

"Yes. I'm harsh with punishments, but I'm not unfair."

"I could beg to differ." I hissed quietly.

My mom stopped abruptly. "Pardon?"

"Nothing." I said quickly.

"Thought so." She smirked, and she turned me around to face her as she crouched down, her face serious. "Silena, I need you to listen. Something's happening – something _big_. The best of us have been chosen to find out what, and whatever happens. You are not to leave this camp. Promise Silena, please?"

"I promise." I said quietly, not meeting my mother's eyes. "You said this last night, why do you need me to promise you again?"

"Two reasons. One: I know you didn't mean it last night, and two: now we have a rough idea what it is – and it's worse than we imagined."  
"What is it?"

"I can't tell you Lena."

"Why not?"  
"Because I know you don't mean your promise."

"Mom, I love you, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to my role model," I said, and my mom smiled. "and I do mean my promise."

"Silena dear, you'll grow out of having me as your role model soon enough. You'll have some pointless celebrity to fangirl over."  
"That's not true!" I protested.

"You might not think it now, but it will become soon. Silena, all of the parents who have been chosen have told their children already – that's why we were heading to the mess hall in the first place. I told your father that I'd tell you – it was the least I could do for him. He hates losing his loved ones."

"Is that why he closed the doors?" I said before i thought it though.  
Sometimes i just _hate _being ADHD.

"What?" my mom said, stumbling slightly.

"Is that why he closed the stone doors?" I asked her, suddenly feeling more confident, and showing it in my voice.

Suddenly my mom started to shake, and I placed my arms around her protectively, as trying to protect her from the image of the grovelling, filthy teenager in my dream. "It was you, wasn't it?" I whispered.

She didn't answer but she pulled away from me, still shaking violently. "Silena, when I was your age, I wanted to join the Hunters. I nearly did when I was fourteen – but when your father saved me from Luke, I decided against it. It would've meant that I would've lost him forever. I would've had to be immortal without him. I turned down immortality for him, and when we were sixteen, he was offered to be a god. He turned down immortality too. So when he- when he closed the doors, I was heartbroken. I was sure he was going to die. Most people thought that I was mad to be so attached to him – we were only seventeen after all. But I- I loved him. We'd saved each other's lives to many times, and he'd just been taken away from me for eight months." She prattled on, not answering my question.

"I don't want your life story mom, I want answers. It was you, wasn't it? Or not?" I asked her, my voice steady.

My mom didn't meet my gaze, but she nodded her head. She didn't say anything as she left me standing in the middle of the common area whilst she walked back to the Athena cabin. I walked around for a bit, not wanting to go back to my cabin, when I crossed paths with a young girl. She had auburn hair and she sat by the hearth, poking the embers with a stick. After watching her for about five minutes I sat next to her.

"Hello." I said quietly.

"Hello Silena Jackson. I see you've finally made your way to camp." She said, with a much more mature voice than an eight year old should have.

"What does that mean?"  
"It means you're ready."  
"Uh, no offence, but who are you?"

"Hestia."

"Like the goddess?"

"You could say that." She grinned, and she looked at me.

Her eye sockets are empty, but they move, flicker and glow like firelight.

"Woah." I gulp, whilst my own eyes widened.

"Dearest Silena, I am not _like _the goddess Hestia. I _am _the goddess Hestia." She smiled warmly at me. And for some reason, her eyes filled me with hope.

"Uh," I squeaked. "Aren't you meant to be, I don't know, adult?"  
"I am. But I prefer to take this form. Just like my niece Artemis does."  
"Artemis?"

"Off topic. Anyway you are ready. The prophecy will be active soon – and do not believe the words of which Athena says – she is not always right. Believe what I am about to say: believe in the gods, and they will never desert you, no matter what the scenario. They may not be able to offer direct help, but they can guide you. Now, go my friend, I might suggest that you visit your father."

Suddenly, Hestia disappeared with a pop, and with a confused sigh, I made my way over to cabin 3: Poseidon. My dad's place.

I knocked on the door hesitantly, scared about what my dad might say to me, but as soon as I knocked, he tore open the door and folded me into a bone crushing hug.

"I'm so sorry Silena! I really am! Piper told me what happened and- and I-"  
"Don't worry daddy." I said, cutting him off. "Actually, can you worry about letting me breath!"

He let me go, sharpish, with a huge flush on his face. "Sorry Lena. That's all I can say. I can't take back what I said to you, but I wish I could. Believe me!"  
"Of course I believe you!" I exclaimed, suddenly wanting to hug him again, but restraining myself.

"Has your mother told you..."  
"That you're- you're leaving?" I choked out, tears suddenly clogging my vision.

"Yes. But I don't want to go – neither does your mom, but we have to. It's the only way to keep you all safe."  
"All?"  
"Yes. Everyone. Mortal and demigod alike."

"Oh."  
"Silena, I know you won't do this – you're too much like me – but promise me that you'll stay in camp?"  
"What does everyone keep on making me promise this! Of _course _I'll stay! Do you think I'm mad?"

"Kinda." He smirked, and I wrapped my arms around his waist – the most comfortable place for my height.

"I love you dad."

"Love you too Lena."

I stared up into his sea green eyes – of which I owned an exact copy – and felt a tear slide down my cheek. I burrowed my face into his shirt before he saw it, and stayed there until he had to prise me off.

"C'mon kiddo, time for dinner." He smiled, ruffling my hair.

I let him go and he took my hand. We walked out of the Poseidon cabin where we met with my mom, and I grabbed her hand. I looked up at both of them in turn, thinking that this may be the last time we're a full family. We walked, hand in hands, until we reached the newly-repaired mess hall, where I saw Rani glance sadly at me. My dad cracked a smile besides me and leant down to whisper something into my ear.  
"You got her good kiddo." He said, and I know he's talking about Tiana.

My mom heard what he said, and she shook her head at him, but I could tell she wasn't at all angry. They both released my hands, and walked over to their tables; my dad alone at the Poseidon cabin, my mom at the full Athena cabin. Alone, I walked to the same table in which Rani sat alone, and I slid into the empty seat next to her.

"You okay?"  
"Just _peachy_. Whilst all of you said your sad little goodbye's to your parents, I trained alone. But joke's on you Princess – whilst you'll be blubbering over your parents dying on this quest, I won't have to. They're already gone." She snapped, looking anywhere but at me.

"What is wrong with you!" I say, thoroughly gutted.

"Nothing. I said so. I'm just peachy." She snapped again.

I tried many times to speak to her, but she just ignored me. She spoke to the golden plate that sat in front of her, and a pizza appeared on it. I did the same, but I asked for a blue pizza.

What? Family joke, okay?

Rani stood up, holding her plate, and walked over to the long queue that formed by the fire that - for some reason - constantly blazed in the mess hall. Finally we got the front of the queue, and I heard Rani mumble something and scrape the cheesiest bit of her pizza into the flames.

"Pluto and Mars. Or Hades and Ares if you wanna go all Greek."  
I realised that she was saying the names of her Godly grandparents.

It was my turn and I stood in front of the blaze. I scraped a quarter of my pizza into the fire, and someone nudged me.

"You have to say whom you give your offering to. It's usually your godly heritage." A small boy with red hair and blue eyes said to me.

"Uh, thanks?" I mumbled to him, and I turned my attention back towards the fire. "Athena and Poseidon – oh, and Hestia."

As I turned away, the flames grew until it reached about 15 feet high, and in them, I saw a disfigured figure of a smiling woman with flickering, auburn hair.

_Why thank you Silena._ A voice in my head said, and I realised it was the person in the flames speaking to me.

With a smile, I made my way back to my bench, but this time I sat next to a tear-stained Leah, and across from a sad looking Callum.

"Parents?" I asked them.

"Just dad." Callum said, and beside me Leah burst into a fresh wave of tears.

"That's enough of that!" I laughed, and I made the tears melt back into her skin.

We all ate our food in silence, until Chiron tapped his hooves against the head table. "Campers!" He roared. "Demigods good evening! I have a few announcements. Number one: tomorrow at six thirty, seven of our bravest first generations will be departing for their quest. Anyone who wants to bid them farewell has permission to be at camp borders before usual times. Number 2: Our dearest camp counsellor, Dionysus, will be returning next Monday – so best behaviour. And finally, number 3: tomorrow night, is our weekly game of Capture The Flag, so I hope you've all sorted out your teams!"

At that, I turned around to face Leah. "Who are we with, then?"  
"I'm with the Hephaestus crew. Leah's with the Demeter gang." Callum answered for her. "You? You'd probably be in the Poseidon's – you've shown more skills for that."

"So it'll be me against you all?"  
"No, you'll have allies! We – the red team - will have Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hecate, Dionysus, Tyche, 2nd generations cabin 2 and 4, Demeter, Nike and Athena."

"AWESOME!"  
"Yeah I guess, but it would be better if we have Nemesis as well."  
"Hmm... but we've got Nike and Athena – two of the best cooperation goddess. One of Victory and one of battle and wisdom. We've got pretty good chances."  
"I guess, but we've been losing since forever!"

"Well, we'll have to change that, won't we?" I smirked at him, and he returned my smile.

After we had all finished eating, we all began to rush off back to cabin 23.

"Race you?" I challenged Callum.

"You're on squirt." He laughed at me.

We got Leah to count down from three, and as soon as she hit three, we both took off running. Soon enough, I overtook Callum, and quickly, I found myself at the doorstep to Cabin 23, waiting for a red faced, panting Callum.

"Well aren't you just the speediest." He gagged.

He pushed past me and stepped through his red vortex into the pavilion. Next Leah stepped in, but through a green vortex, and soon enough Rani stood in front of me.

"Look, I'm really sorry about earlier." She began, but I quickly hugged her.

"It's fine, I understand."  
"But still, it was cruel. I was jealous, and I wanted to take it out on you."  
"Seriously Rani, shut up before I change my mind!" I laughed at her.

She shrugged her shoulders and stepped through the door. "Catch ya later kiddo – and be ready for a royal butt whooping tomorrow!" She laughed.

Instead of following after her, I stayed out on the doorstep, and watched all the other demigods walk back into their cabins. I watched the children of Hecate blast each other with balls of magic, the children of Hermes play pranks on each other, and I watched the children of Apollo sing as they all walked into their different cabins. After it got dark, I spotted two figures walking hand in hand down the commons, and soon enough I realised that it was my parents. I watched them as they stopped at cabin 6, and my dad bent down and kissed my mom, and after she disappeared into her cabin, he walked back over to cabin 3, and even from my distance, i saw his smile.  
I smiled too.  
I wanted a love like that someday.


	10. Chapter 10

_"CUT HER ANKLE! CUT IT!" A slight girl with dark skin as curly hair screams as she tries to wrestle her cavalry sword from her scabbard._

_No one hears her as her screams are over run by the loud groans of the earth crumbling beneath them, and the sound of the Athena Parthenos being lifted into the Argo II. I see a blonde girl and a dark haired boy standing together, watching the scene unfold in front of them, when suddenly the blonde girl's leg is jerked behind her by some invisible force. She tumbles to the ground, and the boy leaps out and grabs her arm, but gets dragged along with her. The girl with the curls disentangled herself from the rope ladder and starts to run after them, but I know she won't reach them in time._

_"CUT IT!"_

_Suddenly the couple slip over an edge of an incredibly deep chasm until the boy grabs onto the side with one hand._

_My parents are hanging onto life with one hand._  
_"SOMEONE HELP THEM!"_

_Suddenly my teenage dad lets go of the ledge, and I hear many voices scream, but he catches onto another ledge about 15 feet down that's about the size of a bookshelf._

_"Percy, let me go, you can't pull me up." My mom croaks, tears in her eyes._

_My dad stares at her for a second. "Never." He says finally, then he looks up to the surface, where a boy with shaggy black hair plunges his hand down to try and pull my parents back up. "Nico, lead them to the other side? We'll see you there! Understand?"_  
_"But-"_  
_"The other side Nico, promise me!"_

_"I – I will. I promise."_

_From below everyone, in the huge chasm, a voice screamed with laughter._

Beautiful sacrifices to awaken the goddess.

_My dad tightened his death grip on my mom's wrist. She was scraped, bleeding and filthy, he was also, and they were both covered in spider's silk, but the way they looked at each other, grey upon green, it made my heart ache, so much so that I tried to scream to them, but nothing happened, my voice didn't make a single sound._

_An understanding passed between them as he spoke. "We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again." He said to her, shouting above all the screams that filled the crumbling room around them._

_"As long as we're together." She said quietly, and she broke my father's gaze to stare upon the small ray of sunlight that entered the cavern – which looked like it would be the last sunlight she would ever see._

_She fixed her gaze on my dad again, and he let go. He let go of the ledge that was saving their lives, and they tumbled into the endless darkness, leaving behind the horrified screams of the other six young demigods._

I sat bolt upright, and looked over my shoulder at the bedside clock that I found ticking away.

6 o'clock.

I jumped out of bed and made myself presentable. After I was all washed and changed, I swam the the surface and waited for the others in the Pavilion.

"Hello." A loud voice said from behind me.

At first I could see nothing but a small patch of black, rippling in the breeze, but suddenly, from the darkness, Marina stepped out.

"Oh my gods!" I shrieked, surprised at her sudden materialization.

She laughed. "You'll get used to it."

"You seeing them off?"  
"Yep."

She took a step backwards and disappeared into the blackness.

"That. Kid. Is. Creepy."  
"I heard that!" Her voice came from nowhere.

Next came Callum, Leah and Rani. I watched them walk from their areas – Callum from the volcano, Leah from the rainforest and Rani from the gem quarry – and over to me.

"Lets go." Rani says, and she drags me to the front door.

Together, in a line, we walk to the crest of the hill with the massive Pine, where I saw my parents.

My mom stands next to my dad, dressed in denim shorts - which look surprisingly good on her – white trainers and an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. A ring of clay beads ring her neck, and a bronze knife sits on her hip. My dad stands next to her in pretty much the same outfit but with jeans and black trainers – and he doesn't have any visible weapons.

They spotted me, and they ran over to me.

"Silena!" My mom said as she grabs me into a hug.

"Remember your promise Lena." My dad chimed in.

I simply nodded, and suddenly I found my face soaking with tears.

"Come back." I sniffed, wiping my hand against my nose. "Don't leave me alone."

"Lena, listen to me." My dad said, staring into my eyes. "Me and your mom will do _everything _that's in our power to come back to you. We'll never leave you. I've always sworn to protect you - even if it means giving my own life. And i can't do that if i'm dead, right?"  
That didn't exactly brighten my mood.

"Demigods. It's time for your departure." Chiron said sadly, somehow louder than all of us put together.

He waved his hand, and slowly, one by one, the seven demigods disappeared from sight.

_Piper._

_Jason._

_Nico._

_Leo._

_Clarisse._

_My dad._

_My mom._

And I didn't even know where I got the names from.

As we stand there in total silence, I felt someone put their hand comfortingly on my shoulder, and thinking it's Rani, I grabbed the arm and quickly buried my head into their shoulder.

"Hi to you too." Callum laughed, and I pushed myself away from him, sharpish.

I noticed the blush that highlighted his face, and laughed, even though my face boiled.

"I thought you were Rani!"

"Rani left." Leah giggled from behind Callum.

I felt someone's eyes on me, so I looked over my shoulder to find Tiana staring daggers at me. I smirked at her, and with a flick of my hand, she was drenched with water.

I sauntered off, and even though it's only 6:35, I made my way to the Mess Hall. I slide myself onto the bench I sat on last night, when, with a flash, a figure appeared in front of me.

"I see you've finally decided to join us, Serena Johansson." The man in front of me said.

He was rather plump, with short stubby legs, a leopard print shirt and knee length shorts. He wore open toed sandals with black socks. His hair was crazily curly, and was so black it was almost purple, and his eyes were a deep purple.

"I'm not Serena Johansson. I'm Silena Jackson." I said to him.

"That's what I said: Serena Johanssen." He insisted.

"No. Silena Jackson."  
"Serena Johanssen."

"_Just listen to me!_" I yelled at him, pushing myself up from the table.

"Or what?" He hissed to me, and he locked his gaze to mine.

I found myself watching as sailors turned into dolphins. People were being strangled with grape vines. People were running round in circles as their mind were being bend. And this same man was standing in the centre of each image, looking strangely empty of emotion as the carnage rages around him.

"Who _are_ you?"  
"Mr. D. To you."

"And to everyone else?"  
"Mr. D."

"Oh."  
"You better get back to your cabin before I obliterate you. And believe me, I've done it before, so I'm not afraid to do it again."

He clicked his fingers, and I felt my legs walking my out of the Mess Hall, and down to cabin 23. I gained the control of them back when I reached the door. I let out a frustrated scream, and realised who I just met.

Mr. D. part time summer camp supervisor.

Full time god of wine and parties.

I stepped through the rippling portal, and I instantly heard Leah and Callum screaming at each other.

"- can't believe you!"  
"That's not my problem!"  
"You never even told me!"  
By this point, I was hiding behind one of the pillars.

"I was forced to keep it a secret!"  
"SO! YOU COULD'VE TOLD ME!"

"NO, I COULDN'T OF!"

Now I was beginning to hear the sound of burning wood, and I was beginning to smell it too.

"I HATE YOU CALLUM VALDEZ!"  
"REALLY? I COULDN'T TELL!"

Suddenly the room was doused in orange light, which I instantly knew was fire. I jumped out from behind my podium and willed for all the water from my ocean to come to me, to put out the fire, and it obeyed. I felt the blood inside my body rush to my ears as the gigantic wave hit. Instantly I was surrounded by the mass of swirling water, but it never touched me, it stayed in a large funnel around me. My hair whipped around me, replicating the whirlpool of which surrounded me, and suddenly I remembered Leah and Callum. I gasped, and mentally searched for them, because I knew that if I just let the water return to the sea, they would be lost. Quickly I felt two bodies and willed the currents to push them to my dry tunnel. I began to see their dark figures race towards me in a flurry of bubbles, and soon enough they were pushed into my dry ring.

I let the water go, leaving the Pavilion and a bit of the two surroundings next to my beach drenched. I looked around me and saw the carnage of both my water and Callum's fire. Where his element had touched – which was pretty much everywhere – the marble had melted and bubbled, and where my water had reached, it had forced the molten marble to cool quickly, leaving the Pavilion a huge, unruly mess.

"WHAT THE HADES, SILENA!" Callum screamed at me, pushing his brown curls from his eyes. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"  
"Sorry? I wasn't the one who set the place on fire!"  
"I could've sorted it!"

"OF COURSE YOU COULD!"  
"Nope. He couldn't of." Rani said from beside us, her eyes frantically scanned the room. "My mom made this place. It's what killed her in the end."

"What do you mean Rani?"  
"Chiron told me that, to ensure our protection, my mom convinced Pluto to not let the curse fall upon these materials. In return, he asked for his daughter's life. She died - for the second time - to protect us from herself." She said, and suddenly she began to shake violently, and screamed her next words at Callum. "And you go and ruin it like a bunch of little kids!"

He stared at the floor, when suddenly Rani lunged at him and pinned him against one of the melted columns by his throat. His eyes grew wide, and Leah gasped. She flung her arms out, and a single vine dragged Rani off of her brother. With a few quiet words, Leah managed to calm Rani down, and she began to contemplate something.

"Water wouldn't damage it. Nor would fire usually, but it was at such an intense heat." She muttered to herself.  
"Is there anything I can do?" I asked her.  
"Nope. I've gotta fix it."

I stared at her, and quickly enclosed her into a tight hug. "I am so sorry." I mumbled into her ear.

She pushed me away. "Seriously Lena, it's fine. But only if I can redesign the Pavilion. Otherwise, you aren't forgiven."

"Yeah!" Me and Leah screamed, both sounding like little kids.  
"NO!" Callum groaned.

"Well, I'll take that as a yes. You guys better clear out. I'll be kicking the others out soon enough."

With a lot of moaning from Callum, we all stepped outside, and by now it was 7:30. We all walked over to the mess hall and got our breakfasts. We did the traditional offering, and as usual, I sacrificed my meal to Athena, Poseidon and Hestia, and as usual, the flame grew brighter as I did.

After a lot of laughing, chattering and gossiping – mainly from Tiana to no-one in particular – Rani limped over to our table, panting.

"Done."  
"What? That's impossible!"  
"Not – when – you – can – summon – and – move – gems – at – your – will." She smiled, though she was still panting heavily.

Suddenly she fainted.

"Oh my gods!" I gasped, and I run over to her.

"She's just overworked herself. Giver her a couple of seconds, and she'll be right as rain." One of Tiana's brothers – I think it was Marcus - said.

Sure enough, as I leant back onto the balls of my feet, Rani stirred below me. She pushed herself up, and after a moment of confusing, her grin returned.

"Well?" She asked, scanning our table, from Tiana to Jake, Marcus to Marina, Leah to Callum, and to me. "You gonna go see it or not?"

We all shrugged our shoulders, and pace off after Rani as she flipped herself onto her feet and ran off to the cabin. As soon as we all stepped into the new Pavilion, we all gasped. We involuntarily fanned ourselves out into a line and admired Rani's new design.

Where the room used to be an open-aired, white marble, Greek pavilion, the room was now 4 walls of a dark purple gem, with no evident lights in the room – but yet it was still bright and cheery. The roof was a flat sheet of perfect see through crystal, and the room was decorated in black, onyx furniture. When Rani clapped her hands, colourful beams of light splayed around the room in all directions – just like a normal light would look like if it was shone through a gemstone.

"Uh, Rani..." Leah said, turning to face her.

"Yeah, L?"  
"How do we get to our cabins?"

"Easy." She grinned, and swept her arm around the room.

For the first time I noticed the small circles of coloured gems that littered the floor. There was about eight in total, one was a sea-green swirled with grey, one was pink with a thick slash of yellow, one was black, one was red and orange, one was green and speckled with different colours, one was white with a load of flashes of yellow and there was another replica of that, but grey. And there was another. It was a beautiful assortment of gems that I knew was Rani's.

"Uh, how do they work?" I asked her.

"You just step on it." She replied.

Instantly, the twins – Marcus and Jake – sprint over to the grey/white and yellow circles, and begin arguing over which one is theirs. Soon enough it came to blows, and Tiana sighed. She pushed them, one onto the grey circle and one onto the white circle. She walked over to the pink circle, and disappeared in a cloud of very, uh well, smelly pink perfume.

We shook our heads at them, and silently, Marina walked over to her disk. She rotated her head to look over at Rani.

"Thanks, Ran." She smiled, and she stepped onto the disk, and disappeared in a shimmer of black.

"Rani, how did you do this?!" I asked her in astonishment.

"I didn't do it alone." She groaned, embarrassed. "I had a tiny bit of help from the Hephaestus's."  
"How did they get in?"  
"Lena, the cabin wasn't exactly secure. All I had to do was put my hand on the door once – and bam, they were where in. I collected the gemstones, and they carved them. They also got a bit of help from the Hecate's and they enchanted the gems."

"That's amazing!"

"It was fun." She smiled.

We started up a random conversation about our lives outside of Camp Half-Blood, and I found out that Rani had been here ever since her father was sent to the Fields of Punishment. And that Leah and Callum started here when she was 5 and he was 7. I was about to tell them about my life, when suddenly a huge rippling square of white appeared in the room.

"Insert one golden Drachma." A pleasant female voice said.

We all dug around in our pockets until Callum fished out a golden coin. He tossed it casually into the square, and we all waited in a tense silence, when the female voice spoke again.

"Payment accepted."

The square changed again so that we were staring into what seemed like a life-sized, super thin, plasma screened TV. And on our channel was a live battle. Six demigods stood in a protective circle around something. The held out various weapons in front of the defensively, every so often plunging them into a black mass that sprang their way. Suddenly my mom appeared and yelled something that we couldn't hear, because at that moment a loud roar echoed through the darkness. Inside the circle, a small whimper escaped, which sounded suspiciously like a young child.

"GO! And take her with you!" A short man with curly hair and dark skin screamed at my mom.

I realised how much he looked like Callum. Then I realised it was his dad.

"I can't Leo!" My mom shouted, and she held out her hands, which were shimmering, and slowly disappearing.

Suddenly her whole body stiffened, and she erupted into swirls of golden mist, and I gasped.

"Annabeth!" My dad screamed, and he broke the circle.

Immediately, all Hades broke loose. I could make out the black masses, and they took form of horrifying monsters, which all leapt at our parents. One at a time, they disappeared in the same manner as my mom, leaving swirling clouds of golden mist trailing behind them.

We all screamed, including Callum.

The screen went blank.

"Insert 1 Drachma for another five minutes." The female voice chirped.

Beside me, Leah crumpled to the ground, sobbing. Callum crouched down next to her, trying to comfort her. I looked over to Rani, and we shared an understanding.

We had just watched our parents get captured.

And we were going to go save them.


	11. Chapter 11

I nodded at Rani, and we both walked over to Leah, who was still sobbing. I was finding it hard not to cry myself, but I had to keep myself strong – I had to show Leah it would be all right.

"So you gonna help us?" I asked her.

She carried on sobbing.

"Leah, if you don't get over yourself, your dad is gonna die – so are you gonna help us or not?" Rani hissed.

Leah looked up at us, her brown eyes gleaming. "I guess."

We both helped her up.

"Since what happened yesterday..." Rani said, not meeting mine or Leah's eyes. "I think we should catch up on training."

"Sure." Callum said from behind us.

We all turned around to face a solid gemstone wall.

"Uh... Rani..."

"Oh yeah." She grins, and she stepped towards the wall. After a second of hesitation, she stepped _through _the solid purple mass, leaving it to ripple in her wake.

"Well... lets hope it works for non-grandkids of Pluto." Callum gulped, and he too stepped through it without any damage.

I took my hand off Leah's shoulder and followed after him. After a second of pure purple, I found myself outside the door of the cabin, where I saw Callum and Rani walking side by side, talking. I slowly walked behind them, and listen to what they're saying.

"-5 days?"

"Yep. And we need you. We've already got Water and earth, Precious gems and metals and Nature. What'da say?"

"No. And my sister is not going either. It's your quest."  
"The prophecy says it's a quest for eight – and it's your dad who's been captured, not mine."  
"Rani, I couldn't care less. It's my job to protect Leah – she's only 13!"

"So's Silena – and so far, she's proven more powerful than any demigod ever. And she's not even a first generation."

"I've still gotta protect Leah!"

"Protect her on the quest then!"

"She's staying here!"

"It's her choice!"

"No it's not!"  
"Yes it is!"  
"Hi!" I intercepted.

Both Rani and Callum spun to face me.

"You were listening to us?!"  
"You were shouting – it's not that difficult."

They both glared at me, but quickly enough they're distracted by Leah sprinting over. Together we walked over to the training arena, where the Athena and Hecate cabins were already in full swing.

We watched in awe as a young Hecate girl, maybe about 8 or 9, blast an older Athena into the air with a gust of cold fire, but then has to duck as another Athena swings her sword at her head. Then from across the arena, two Hecate kids, who both look to be about 16, battle with swords that fizz, smoke and ripple with every movement, giving them the impression that they will disappear any second, but they still give off sparks as they collide. Suddenly, the son of Athena who was blasted smirked at me, and I realised that I've somehow made my way into the centre of the arena. I heard a sharp hiss, and instinctively I brung out my shield – of which I haven't named – and the sword, that would've cut me in half, melted, burning its holder's hand.

He screamed, and ran out of the arena, ducking, dodging and rolling to avoid flying balls of magic and swords alike. I felt the temperature rise as my shield started to glow, and I tapped it, making it return to my bracelet. When I put it away, I felt someone tap my shoulder.

"Hello." A male voice said, and I turned around to face the Athena boy. "You're Annabeth's kid, right?"

At the mention of my mother, my eyes began to water, but I hoped that they didn't show. "Yeah."

"So you're my niece? Awesome! My name is Ash."

"Hi Ash. Is Ash short for Ashley or something, because Ash doesn't sound very Athena-y."

He didn't answer my question, so I assumed that I was right. "Where did you get your shield may I ask?"  
"I don't know. My mom says it was a gift along side with my sword."

"Hmm..." Ashley mumbled, and I swear I could see the little gears turning in his brain. "It's an Athena shield – no doubt about it. Very few of us have ever owned one, and those who have, have turned out to be a great hero."

"So there's replicas of my shield?"  
"No. Athena gives magic items to her children when she thinks they've got the abilities. You're just lucky that you got a shield. Especially one made out of Athena's true form."

"Did- did my mom have a magic item? Everyone says she was an amazing hero."  
"Your mom had a magic baseball cap of invisibility. Mom gave her it on her twelfth birthday – right before the child of the prophecy came along."

"Oh."

"_Anyway..._" Ashley laughed. "I'm going to help you with your training."

"Oh, I'm fine. Rani's gonna help me."  
"Really? Doesn't look like it from where I'm standing." He smirked.

"Fine." I snapped, and I ripped my horse off my chain.

Instantly it grew into my silver sword. Ashley grabbed me a helmet and tossed it to me. I shoved it over my unruly curls and stood ready. As soon as I let go of the helmet,he brung his sword down upon me, but I block it with mine, and instantly it began to glow – but not in the same way as my shield. I swing and slash at him, but he easily blocks and parries with me. Soon I found myself dripping with sweat, my arms aching, and Ashley picked up on this.

"You need a drink?" He asked me, stopping his sword mid swing.

"Yeah." I gasped, clutching my side for cramps.

He brung me over a bottle of water, and I drink half. The other half I poured over my already dripping hair, gaining a strange look from him.

"You ready to go again?" He asked, and I nod, not wanting to waste my suddenly burst of energy.

I felt my insides tingle as he brung his sword down again, and instead of blocking it, I let it pass right through me as my body turned into complete water. My weapon clatters to the ground as it slipped through my liquid fingers. I willed my body to stiffen enough that I can hold something, and I picked up my weapon again in his moment of confusion. I swung my glowing sword and disarmed him, and pointed my blade at his throat. I willed myself return to a solid mass, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I win?"  
"Yep."  
I felt my sword return to its dormant form, and I felt it wrap itself around my wrist once more. I tossed my - now clean and dry – hair over my shoulder and walked back to cabin 23. I stepped into the purple room and bumped into Rani.

"Hey!" I smiled.

"You're getting good. But I'm still gonna whoop your butt tonight." She smirked.

"Tonight?"  
"Don't tell me you've forgotten? Capture the Flag!"

"Oh."

She rolled her golden eyes at me. "I wouldn't believe you were a granddaughter of Athena."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Get yourself cleaned up - we've got dinner then Capture the Flag straight after."

I thanked her and stepped onto my grey-and-sea-green circle and found myself straight in my cabin. I had a quick shower and changed my Camp Half-Blood t-shirt into another one. I turned around to look at my bedside table to find a thin loop of black leather with a single clay bead on it. I picked it up to examine the bead, and see a grey tiny owl and a green trident painted on the black surface. I tried to figure out what it meant – it can't just be about my grandparents being Poseidon and Athena, but something deeper.

So _now _my Athena decided to show itself.

Finally I figured it out. It's the joining of two rivals, rivals that had hated each other for thousands of years, and had had their children follow in that rivalry. Until my parents. They brought together Poseidon and Athena by dating, and then by having me, they repaired the trust between the two gods, because if the children of the two gods could marry, then why couldn't the immortals simply get along?

I smiled to myself, and slung the necklace around my neck.

I walked onto my disk, and through the purple wall when I got into the Pavilion and made my way to the Mess hall. As usual I gave my sacrifices to Poseidon, Athena and Hestia, but after that, the hour blurred until Chiron banged his hoof against the head table and shouted above that campers.

"It's time," He roared. "For Capture the Flag. Campers, to the woods to assemble!"

We all stood, and with Leah and Callum by my side, we walked into the forest where we met in the clearing with the other cabins on our team: Poseidon (me), Demeter (Leah), Hephaestus (Callum), Athena, Nike, Hecate, Ares, Aphrodite, Dionysus, Tyche and 2nd generations cabin 2.

I locked eyes with Leah and she nodded to me. Someone tossed me a set of Greek battle armour, which fitted perfectly over my camp clothes, and as a pack, our cabins marched into a clearing, which was separated into halves by a small creek, of which Chiron stood in. I noticed on the other side, stood the other team.

Chiron told us the rules, and I felt a tug at my shoulder. I looked over to see a tall, well built girl with dark brown hair, matching eyes, and tan skin tug at my shoulder. "You'll be on the attack team." She said, and suddenly a conch shell sounds.

Instantly, the clearing erupted into screams and shouts as both teams charged head on at each other, every so often, a group of campers separating from the cluster. I followed the the girl and a couple others – including Ashley – into a bushy, overgrown part of the woods.

We hacked our way through the undergrowth, every so often stopping to slay a small monster which we awaken. We made our way into another small clearing where we stop, and Ashley pulled out a small, golden map.

"We've still got a while to go." He groaned.

Suddenly he stiffened, and motions with his fingers to a space behind him. I followed the older campers leads and ready my sword by pressing the trident bracelet, when suddenly a huge mass of campers came spilling out from where Ashley signalled to.

"Battle plan 27!" He yelled over the battle cries of the other team, and we – excluding me - got into some strange formation.

Almost immediately we were overwhelmed, but turning myself into liquid, I passed in and around the warring teenagers, and into the darkening forest. I turned myself back into solid and sprinted through the trees. Soon I found myself completely lost, but I found the source of the creek, and I decided to follow its trail. After about ten minutes, I saw a tower of tall rocks, and out of curiosity, I made my way towards them.

When I got there, I notice a tall wooden pole with a dark grey banner attached to it. On the banner, was a single, realistic, lightning bolt, and standing in front of it was Tiana and Jake.

"Well hello there _Silena._" Tiana scoffed, putting emphasis onto my name.

"Hey!" Jake grinned.

I wiggled my fingers at Jake, but I continued to glare at Tiana. Above me the sky turned dark, and began to thunder.

"You ready for round two?" Tiana smirked at me, and suddenly a huge arc of lightning shot through the sky and made impact with the ground about 10 centimetres away from my toes. I didn't flinch, and I felt my stomach twisting inside of me. Suddenly, the creek behind me exploded with so much force, everywhere within a fifty meter radius was drenched in water - too much water for the tiny creek. Tiana and Jake charged at me, every so often trying to blast me, but missing. I readied my sword, and swung at them. Tiana's bronze spear clattered to the ground, and as she bent to retrieve it, I ducked out of line from Jakes knives. I plunged my sword into the earth to steady myself, and suddenly the earth cracked. My sword began to glow blue, and every crack in the ground was filled with a strange blue light.

Tiana and Jake stood paralyzed, as their faces were cast with the blue light. The whole clearing was enveloped in the light, and suddenly water shot up from the cracks in the earth. The water gushed through the ground with so much force, everything was drenched, and the earth began to shake. The rocks tumbled, and the flag fell to the ground. As I sprinted to retrieve it, I heard Tiana and Jake get blasted sky high with the water pressure. I grabbed the flag, and grabbed my sword from the earth as I ran past it. I ran parallel to the, now full, creek.

"Over here!" Callum screamed, and suddenly about 10 burly campers appeared from the trees on my side.

I carried on sprinting, dodging the spears that were thrown at me, and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a huge vine reaching out for me. I let it wind around my waist, and I felt myself being lifted into the air, but not fast enough. The other team caught up to me and cut the vine away. I swung violently - and blindly - with my sword and disarm half of them with one swipe. The rest continued to thrust at me with their swords and spears until I heard Leah scream at me.  
"Get your butt over this side of the creek Lena!"

I stepped backwards into the water and slowly, whilst still slashing away, I made my way backwards to Leah and Callum.

When I stepped onto solid ground again, the rest of my team appeared at a steady rate from the trees. I looked up at the banner, and notice how the grey-sheet-with-a-lightning-bolt shimmers and turned into a grey-and-sea-green marbled background with a silver owl and a glittering trident. I raised the banner above my head in victory, and I felt myself being lifted onto Callum's, Ashley's and the tall girls shoulders.

They carried me back to the Mess Hall like this, with the rest of our team almost dancing behind us. They placed me down gently onto my cabin's table, and I sunk the banner's pole into the soft wood.

"Well done red team." Chiron beamed at us. "Well, that's it for tonight's festivities. Lights out."

I walked arm in arm with Leah and Callum back to cabin 23, and we said goodnight in the purple Pavilion. I made my way to my personal cabin, and I got myself ready for bed.

After about 15 minutes, I sunk into my comfortable bed, and unable to get to sleep, I watched the ocean around me through my glass roof, until finally, my eyelids began to grow heavy, and soon enough I found myself snoring.


	12. Chapter 12

Tonight, I don't dream.

I lay unconscious, seeing black in my mind all night.

Finally, when I wake up, I get up and dressed, putting my cap 'uniform' over a non-revealing swimsuit. I decide to skip breakfast, and instead of walking to the mess hall as I usually would, I take a sharp left turn, and walk onto the pontoon that floats on the lake.

I shimmy out of my clothes, and leave them in a neatly folded pile on the edge of the wooden platform. I let my toes hang over the edge before diving in without a splash. I swim down to the bottom of the clear lake in one breath, and I start to panic as my lungs begin to feel like acid. I try to swim back to the surface, but I feel something grasp onto my ankle.

_Breathe._

I look down to see a young girl clinging to me. Her whole body was blue, so much so, that she blended in with her surroundings.

_Breathe young one._

Her voice rang clear in my mind as my lungs felt like they were going to explode. Desperate, I let out my captive breath, and I inhale like I would if I was on land. Shocked, I kick at the young girl, and she swims away in a flurry of bubbles. I begin to hyperventilate, and I watch as the water around begins to swirl, mimicking my emotions. I calm myself, and I begin to search lake bottom, not for anything in particular, but just because I can.

Every so often, I would see a tiny sea monster – maybe about 10, 15 feet long – and I'd swim in the other direction, but that was all I saw, apart from more of the blue girls, sitting and weaving baskets. After a while, I swam to the surface, and pulled myself up onto the pontoon. I began to dry myself off with the towel I brought, but I noticed that I didn't need it, I was perfectly and completely dry – even my hair and swimsuit.  
Raising my eyebrows, I toss my clothes back on over my swimsuit, and head back to my cabin, where I bump into Rani as she rushes out of the door.

"Woah, watch where you're going!" I laugh.

"Where _were _you?!" She shouts, gripping my shoulders.

"I went for a swim!"  
"You were gone _two hours_, Lena!"

"Whoops. Where were you going?"

"To the big house. We need to ask Chiron for a quest, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Can I just drop my stuff into my cabin?"  
Rani sighs. "Hurry."  
I run through the door and go into my cabin. I change out of my swimsuit and leave my towel in a heap on my bed, and I make the journey back outside. Me and Rani race each other to the Big House, where Chiron sits on the porch, staring out to the Camp.

"Hey Chiron." Rani says, bobbing her head at the Horseman.

"Hello Rani dear. Silena."

"We need to ask you something." I say, and I'm about to speak again when Rani punches me under my ribs. "Oww."  
"What is it?"  
"We need a quest." Rani says, her voice commanding.

"And why is that?"  
"They're gone."  
"Who?"  
"Who do you think?" Rani says, and this time, her voice I ominously quiet.

"Oh gods no." He mumbles, and he closes his eyes, and does a clawing motion with his hand over his heart. He opens his eyes. "This isn't a joke, is it?"  
"Why would I joke about this Chiron! Demigods are MIA!"  
"I will issue a quest – but not to you, I'm afraid. We need more experienced demigods."  
"_Chiron!_ I have been here for _11_ years! How am I not experienced?!"  
"You're too young child."  
"I am not! I'm 14!"

"They were 17, and they barely made it out."  
I wasn't understanding what they were saying by now.

"We have to go – _she _has to go!" Rani shouts, motioning to me.  
"And why is that?"  
"The quest was issued to her by Athena herself!"  
Silence.

"I can't allow this. No. Not her."

"Why?!"  
"Can't I have a say in this?"

"No!" Rani yells at me.

"Yes." Chiron says calmly.

"It is true. Athena issued me with this quest. And I accepted it – unknowingly, of course. What ever has happened to my parents, I am bound by my word to save them. I can't back out. I know I am under trained, but I will give my life for my parents – they protected me for 13 years, and now it's time for me to return the favour."

"Silena, you can return the favour by staying at camp. You promised your parents so. They will hold you to your word."  
"So does Athena – and I'd rather be in trouble with my parents than a goddess."

Beside me, Rani nods smugly.

"Silena dear, where your parents are, is unknown. Do you even know where we sent them?"

"No."  
"Tartarus. We sent them to Tartarus. Monsters are once again stirring, and we had to send the bravest seven demigods to stop them."

I notice how Rani pales.

"I'm still going. They're my parents!"

"Silena-"  
"_No_!" I yell, and I bang my fist against the table that sits next to Chiron. "You will not stop me! I will go and save them – all of them! Even if I have to go alone!"

"You wont. I'll be going with you." Rani gulps, standing up next to me.

"I will too." Marina says, as she steps out of the shadows behind Chiron, who whips around to stare at her.

"I forbid it!" This time Chiron yells.

"Do you even care about those seven demigods? Do you? Ask yourself that. What would you do if it was your parents?!"  
"I have nothing to do with my parents! And, Silena Jackson, you will not leave!"

"So you don't give me permission. Who cares? Not me! I've got a prophecy, and a band of demigods to help me."  
With that, I march off, and I hear Rani _humph _at Chiron, and run after me. "That was real stupid ya know."  
"I don't care." I growl, my anger still at its high.

"You still going to go?"  
"Yep. Tomorrow night. Join me if you want. But if you don't want to, I wont hold it against you."  
"Of course I'm going! And it seems we already have four of us – we only need four more."  
Suddenly the conch shell blows, and we walk in silence the rest of the way to the mess hall for lunch.

"So, you didn't get a quest, huh?" Tiana smirks from the table, which still has the banner impaled through it. "Typical. I got one of my first try."  
"Shut up." I growl, and I slap her across the face.

"Why you little!" She shouts, and she begins to stand from her seat, but her brothers pull her back down.

"Yeah, I didn't get a quest – but I'm still going. And I need four more demigods. I've already got Rani, Leah and Marina to come with me."  
"You won't catch me trailing around with your little pathetic group of friends!"  
"I wouldn't want you there."  
"Can we come?" Jake and Marcus ask me.

"Why not?" I say, and I smile gratefully at them.

"Silena," Callum says, suddenly behind me. "You're gonna need me there. I realise that now. You need me there to protect both you and Leah. So I'm in."  
"I don't need protecting. But thanks anyway." I say, and this time I address the whole table. "We will be leaving tomorrow night at... lets say... 11 o'clock. Pack lightly, but dangerously. We wont be returning without the parents."

"Jake and Marcus are not going, Silena. It's too dangerous." Tiana says, and for the first time, I notice a different emotion in her eyes: Worry.

"Then come with us. The prophecy says we need eight."  
"But you said-"  
"I don't care what I said. If you think you need to protect your brothers, then I can't – and won't – stop you."

She considers this, then nods, and holds out her hand. "Deal." She says.

I shake her hand.

"I'm gonna go get ready." She says. "C'mon Jake, c'mon Marcus."

Suddenly she disappears, leaving the smell of ozone behind.

Rani whistles. "So we've got the eight." She says.

"Yep."

We give our sacrifices, and eat. And for the first time, I let my mind wander. What's going to happen to us? Will they send out search parties when we leave?  
Who will be the one who doesn't return 'safe and well'?

After we finish, we all walk to the training arena, where we learn each other's techniques, skills, and battle plans, until we can fight each other with our eyes closed and not kill one another.

We eat dinner. We sleep. We eat breakfast. We train. We eat lunch. We train. We eat dinner once again. We train.

Then we leave.

"You ready?" Rani says, perching hesitantly on her beige horse.

We all nod, and make sure we have all our needed possessions: Celestial Bronze weapons, extra clothes, mortal money, Drachma, Ambrosia and Nectar, our other magic items. We secure our coats, and gently spur our pegasi on, me on Blondie, Callum on Meatball, Leah on Sonny, Tiana on Macedonia, Marcus and Jake on Nightshade and Sausage, and Rani on Arion.

Rani told me that Arion was her mom's immortal horse, of whom she befriended when she was my age.

Arion also told me that. But with a few more _choice _words.

Seriously, someone needs to wash that horse's mouth out with soap.

We all set off, Rani racing ahead of us at the speed of sound. We fly through the night, swooping to avoid the late flights, and to avoid lights. At dawn, we reach Los Angeles.

"DOWN!" I yell over the rushing of the wind.

Blondie passes the message on through a series of chatters, and the pegasi swoop down into a back alley, folding their wings. We all dismount, and they fly off. Marina steps out of the shadows like she always does, and Rani walks round the corner of a building to enter the alley.

"Follow me." Marina says, and she leads us to a tall building.

Before we walk through, I notice that the place is a recording studio.

When we step through the revolving doors, I notice how full the place is, but it's filled with shimmering people, that when you look at them head on, they disappear. We walk up to the counter, where a tall man in an expensive looking suit stands.

"What do you want?" He groans.

"Granddaughters of Hades and Pluto present. We need transportation to the entrance to Tartarus." Marina says, her voice just as commanding as Rani's was yesterday.

"Why don't you Shadow Travel?"  
"I would, but the rest can't. So transportation please."  
"No."  
Tiana brings out her large stash of Drachma. "Take them. All of them. Just let us through." She says, and I recognise the voice: it's the same one her mom used.

The man wavers, and walks over to the lift, where he beckons to us. We follow him, and he presses a button inside. Instantly, my stomach enters my throat as we zoom downwards. The numbers on the lift go crazy, until they all black out.

"Here." He says, opening the doors into a dark, gloomy cavern. "It's your funeral though."

We step through, and instantly, the lift disappears, leaving us isolated in the cold room. I clap my hands together.

"Lets get moving."

**I know it's not my best standard, but tell me what you think down in the reviews - i accept all criticism :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Together, we walk to the edge of the pit.

"Uh, Silena, how are we gonna get down?" Rani asks me.

I stand in silence for a couple of seconds thinking. Suddenly Leah shouts.

"Oh. OH! I know!"

She takes another step towards the edge, so that her toes hand over. She stands there for a minute or so, until she grins at us. "Done."  
Leah beckons to us, and we walk over. She points into the pit. "Look."  
I look down, and see that Leah has woven together huge vines to create a sort of pole/ladder for us to climb down on. I stare at it for longer, and realise that it goes down father than I can see.

"I need to go down first," Leah says, interrupting my thoughts. "It's not complete yet. It's to far down to do so from this height."

Without warning, Leah leaps, and another vine wraps around her waist and attaches itself to the ladder like a support rope. I let everyone else go before me, and as soon as Tiana hesitantly clambers down, I leap. I feel the vines wrap around me, and yank me to the greenery. We continue to climb for what seems like hours – and maybe it is – when I hear Leah shout.

"_STOP!_"

One at a time, we stop abruptly, all crashing into each other.

"What is it Leah?" I hear Callum shout worriedly.

"We've reached the bottom. And it's not pretty."  
Below me, the vine shakes as I feel Leah free herself and jump off. Everyone else follows her, and as soon as my feet touch the ground, the vine breaks free and lands in a coiled pile not that far away from me.

I tear my attention away from the ladder, and look at my surroundings. All around me is darkness. Pure darkness. I feel my pulse rise, but I keep in the scream that forms in my throat. I hear the scraping of metal as the demigods around me ready their weapons, probably trained to recognise a danger. The swords, spears and knives give off a glow, which illuminates the owners face ghoulishly. From beside me, Rani taps my shoulder.

"You okay?" She asks me, probably sensing my terror.

"Yeah. Just... _peachy._" I gulp, and I touch my trident bracelet.

Instantly, my sword appears and gives off its regular silvery-blue light. I sigh in relief as I notice that it's brighter than everyone else, and that because of that, I can see for a couple of feet either way around me.

"Lets go." I say, and I start off in a random direction, but Marina's voice stops me.

"I think you should follow me and Rani here, Silena. This is our territory – metaphorically speaking of course."  
"Happily." I gasp.

Marina starts off in the opposite direction, and I follow after her, and I feel the drumming of all the feet behind me. We walk for a while, but Rani stops us.

"Shhh!" She hisses, and we all silence ourselves.

For the first time, I notice the distant roaring that surrounds us. I hear a loud groan that could only mean that we're being followed. I look over to Rani, and she nods grimly, confirming my fears.

She signals, and we all stand in a circular formation, all of our backs covered, when a half-man, half-bull emerges from the shadows. Its horrid eyes lock onto me, and a shock runs through me. With one sweep, he bats the others aside, and he swings his double-sided axe in my direction.

I shoulder roll forward just as the axe swings at my head. I run through his wide spread legs, and I hear Rani start taunting the beast.

"Hey beef-breath!" She yells, and I hear her sword clang against his axe.

I spin on my heel, and as he's momentarily distracted, I stab him in the back. Instantly he crumples into the golden dust stuff, and Rani meets my eyes. "Run!"

I follow after her as we sprint away. I look over my shoulder and notice how the dust slowly but surely pieces itself back together again. I sprint faster, and suddenly someone yanks me into a crevice in a chunk of rock.

"Looks like we're camping out tonight." Rani grimaces.

"I'll take first watch." Someone says.

I look around, and to my major astonishment, it was Tiana who offered.

"You sure?"  
"Yeah. We'll sleep for a couple of hours, then we're on the move." She says, and instantly my eyes feels heavy.  
I crumple to the floor, and notice how everyone else does too. I watch with heavy eyelids as Tiana settles herself into a small shelf of rock that outlooks the dark plain. Slowly, my eyelids close, and I fall asleep.

_Silena! What did we tell you! _A voice in my head chides me.

I recognise the voice as my mom's.  
_I'm sorry!_ I cry.

_It's not good enough! Silena, you promised me you'd stay at Camp. You promised!_

_I came to help you!  
Silena you can't help us now. It's impossible._

_No. No. It's not!_

_Silena, go. Leave immediately. You've only been attacked by one monster – you shouldn't have many more on your trail at the moment. If you leave now, you'll have a chance._

_No. _I whisper, and suddenly I catch a glimpse of our parents.

They're all placed in a single cave, some sitting, some standing, some laying. My parents sit back-to-back, both of their heads down. My mom's usually beautiful golden curls, now hang loosely over her shoulders in a knotted, dirty curtain, and my dad's face and arms are covered in deep gashes. Nico di Angelo sits crouched down, barely breathing, barely moving. In front of him, lay 14 red seeds that glisten despite the lack of light in the room. Next to him, Clarisse La Rue stands unconscious, her hands chained up above her head to the wall in bronze chains, her lanky brown hair hiding her face, which I'm sure is cut and bruised.

On the other side of the room, Piper lays in the foetal position, with Jason Grace - literally - hovering next to her, every so often brushing her brown locks off of her unnaturally pale face gently. Leo Valdez stares down at her sadly, his eyes full of tears, like it's his fault that she's in that state. Everything about him reminds of Callum – his hair, his skin, his posture, his face – but this expression almost scares me, how unnatural it looks.

Finally Jason speaks. "How long do we have left?" He croaks, barely audible, but somehow my dad hears him.

"I don't know Jason, but I know that they'll get out – with or without us."

Somehow I get the feeling that he's not talking about my mom and the others.

"It's my fault!" Leo cries, and he breaks down sobbing.

Jason's eyes widen and he stands, staring at him. I get another feeling that he's never seen Leo cry before. "Leo, of course not!" He says finally.

"Yes it is! It's my fault we took that turn. It's my fault that Kampe caught up with us! It's MY FAULT! WITHOUT ME SHE WOULDN'T BE NEARLY DEAD!" He sobs louder, and suddenly he starts to hiccup uncontrollably.

"It's not your fault!" Jason growls, but he looks over to Piper, and I watch as a single tear traces down his grimy face.

"Yes it is, because now they're coming to get us!" He hiccups.

At this, my dad shoots up. "Who?"  
Leo doesn't answer, and my dad storms over to him and pins his against the wall. "_Who _Leo?!"  
Silently, my mom peeks her head up. "Silena."

My dad turns to face her, and he drops Leo, who lands in a quivering, sobbing heap on the floor. After about 5 seconds, my dad breaks, and sinks to his knees, and joins him.

"It's all of them isn't it?" Jason says, and he locks eyes with my mom.

She nods. "She's a good rally, I'll give her that."

"She's lead them into a death trap, Annabeth."

"I know Jason, and I don't like it either, but there's no way any of them are gonna leave without us."

I wake up to someone shaking my shoulder. "Get up!" Rani hisses, into my ear, and she drags me to my feet.

We all take off running just as a giant steps on our little camp and demolishes it. I can't see anywhere above it's hips in the darkness, but I hear it grumbling, and it takes another step towards us, and we scatter.

"Can it see us!" I shout to Tiana as she rolls next to me.

"What do you think Fish Feathers?" She hisses, and she readies her bow. I notice that her arrows are pure lightning, but they give off no light.

We are both forced to roll in different directions as the giant stamps his foot right where we were crouching. I see Tiana, and a moment later I hear her shout: "As soon as I let shoot, _run!_"

She aims her bow to somewhere high in the darkness, and lets the arrow fly, and I watch in amazement as the lightning grows in the air until it illuminates the darkness completely, and for the first time I see the giants face.

I don't take time to admire him, because as soon as the bolt hits the giant, he stumbles back, and I fall into a pit. I'm about to scramble back out, when his foot covers my only exit. I begin to panic as my fears overwhelm me. The darkness somehow seems to grow in my pit, until I can't take it anymore and I let out an ear-splitting scream. I draw my sword, and suddenly I hear the tiny pitter-patter of an army of little feet as hundreds of spiders come into where my sword casts its light. I scream louder, and the foot above me sinks lower down until if I was to stand on my toes, I'd hit my head.

I pat my bracelet in desperation as the spiders crawl over my body in waves – in waves I can't control. As the shield spirals outwards, it's light illuminates my little hole and fries all the little bodies around me instantly. I crouch down low, and hold my shield above my head, and let it bore a hole in the giant's foot. I hear a loud cry as he lifts his foot, and I scramble out of the hole. I look around to see the twins climbing the giants, and everyone else stabbing, spearing and shooting at the beast.

Over the commotion, I scream. "_LOOK AWAY_!"  
Somehow everyone hears me, and rolls away. I see the twins jump off the giant's back, and once they're out of sight, I hold the shield over my body. Over the top off it, I watch as the light engulfs the beast in the strange shape of an owl. The giant begins to smoke, and he roars. He swipes down at me clumsily, but I easily dodge his blow, and I let my sword return to its dormant state. He begins to crumble in front of my very eyes, and the owl-shaped light wraps its wings around the already shedding monster, and instantly he disappears, without even leaving a mountain of dust behind.

Somehow I manage to make my shield return to its bracelet form, and I watch as everyone slinks out of the shadows to join me.

"How'd you do it?" Leah asks me as soon as she's near.

"My shield."  
"Oh." She says quietly, and she meets my eyes. "Looks like you've got an Athenian Shield."

"What's so bad about that?" I ask her.

"Do you know about Athena's shield?"  
"What? Aegis?"  
"Yeah. Well pretty much, when Athena made Aegis, it took her many tries, and only four ever turned out to be affective. Two she gave to Zeus; one he kept for himself and one he gave to his most powerful demigod daughter-"  
"Thalia Grace?"  
"Yeah. Well, Athena kept one for herself. The other shield was hidden on Olympus because Athena told everyone that it wasn't good enough. It was completely unique from the others. It looked different, and had different abilities from the other Aegis', but yet it was still an Aegis. So after a while, Athena re-named her creation. She named it ο κηδεμόνας-"  
"The Guardian?" I suggested.

"Yes. The Guardian. She wanted it to never see battle because it was too powerful. She never told anyone about it, because she feared that her father would want it, and she didn't want the shield to fall into another god's hands due to the destruction it would cause. Athena confided in Poseidon, despite their hatred for each other, and together they made an oath declaring that the shield would be given to the first born demigod between two of their children, thinking that it would never happen. They declared the oath to all the gods and good Titans, and it was bound. But you were born. And following the oath that was bound by the river Styx, Athena presented the shield to you on your first birthday."

"And how do you know this?"  
"It was a hidden myth. My mother found out, and she told me about it."

I remembered that Leah and Callum's mother was the Titan Calypso. "Oh."

"So long story short, Silena Jackson has the most powerful shield known to man – and god – kind." Rani groaned, but I caught her grin.

I gulped, and stared down at my wrist, which held my shield: ο κηδεμόνας, or The Guardian, in a bracelet. I hesitantly stroked the silver owl on the bracelet, and thought about it. How the Hades was I carrying the most dangerous and powerful weapon _ever? _More powerful than all the gods and goddess weapons. I was about to say something, but Tiana cut me off.

"Sorry to steal the limelight," She hissed, tying her hair back up into it's trademark messy bun "But we have more important things to do. Like save our parents, so we better get going."

"We have 14 days." I said, suddenly realising.

"How do you know?" Jake asked me.

I looked at Marina, who was completely silent, and she nodded, as if reading my thoughts. "The pomegranate seeds."

**What do you think?  
****Sorry that i haven't updated quicker, but i've had exams.**

**Please tell me exactly what you think, and feel free to ask questions - i'll be happy to answer them :)**


	14. AUTHORS NOTE!

**Hey guys, i just wanted to tell you something. (feel free to skip this)**

**I love hearing from you all in the reviews, and i love answering your questions. As I'm only 13, i still have a long way to go with my writing skills/technique, so I'm very sorry if there are bits in my story that don't fit/don't make sense. As I'm ADHD, i often forget things that I've written and i often repeat them. My stories often sound rushed, but i do try to take my time and spread it out a bit - so i am very sorry.**

**But back on track: icefire, the myth is partly true, Athena making a couple Aegis's - in mythology, she made one for Zeus and one for herself, but in the PJO series, Thalia was given an Aegis by her dad, so i thought, why not make another one :3**

**But yeah, I am very sorry if my writing seems at all rushed/childish, but i promise i will try to improve - i have a long time, I'm only 13 after all :)**


	15. Chapter 14

**Here's just a quick fill in chapter, whilst i work on the journey through Tartarus - hope you enjoy :)**

After another heated discussion between us, we all sat off again. Together, we marched through the darkness, every so often stopping to kill a monster, and then having to sprint off again as it slowly reformed before us. Finally we had to find another place to stop for a rest – mainly because we had been running for hours, and that we had no idea whether it was day or night – and we stopped in a large cave, littered with little selves which were carved to look suspiciously like little beds.

"Rani, is this even safe?" Jake called out from the back.

"Sure." She said, sarcastic, spinning round. "I've found us a cave, in the middle of hell. Of _course _it's gonna be 100% safe! Why wouldn't it?"

I watched as her eyes began to glow, from brown to golden. It didn't look like she was possessed, but for what it was worth, she might as well have been.

Jake gulped. "Well, because as you said-" He began, but Marcus shoved him.

"Shut _up _dude! I'm your twin, and even _I'm _getting sick of you."

"Correction," Tiana interrupted. "We're _triplets_. Not twins."

Suddenly both the boys silenced as Tiana began to spark. I realised that only she could control lightning, and her brothers couldn't.

From beside me, Rani's eyes cooled down until they were their normal shade of dark brown.

"_So," _Callum grinned, and in the dark he looked like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. "Time for camp fire marshmallows!"

"Oh gods no." Leah murmured, but she held out her hands, and a bunch of dried wood seeped out of the ground.

Callum's grinned widened, and he held out his hand. Suddenly I realised what he was about to do, and I rolled out of the way as a huge fire bomb exploded over my head, lighting up the whole cave, and burning the wood to pure ash in the process.

"Aww shucks..." He laughed, and he waited for us to join in.

None of us did, and we all glared at him, all of us smoking and slightly charred – apart from me. I realised that I had water-ised during the bomb.

"What?" He asked finally.

"You just," Marina fumed, and for the first time I saw her angry. Her blue eyes darkened until they looked almost black, and I could imagine the steam rolling form her ears. "Set us on fire. Of course we have no reason to be angry. You are _so irresponsible_!"

She began to storm forward, but Rani grabbed her shoulders. "Not the time Marina, not the time."

Slowly, Marina's eyes began to lighten until they resembled her playful blue, but I still couldn't get the image of her angry out of my head. For some reason she reminded me of someone that my dad had once described to me. He said that she had black hair, and brown eyes, and that her skin glowed sliver. At the time, I thought it was just another little fairy story, but now I wondered if he was describing Marina, because when she was angry, her skin glowed a silvery aura faintly.

I shook my head. "Who's going to take first watch?"

I looked around and saw how beat up everybody was. They all were injured, but none had taken any Ambrosia or Nectar. Some had cuts, others bruises, and even though she didn't admit it, I could tell Tiana has broken her foot – just by the way she was limping heavily.

"Don't worry, actually," I said after a second. "I'll do it."

Rani tried to stop me, but I convinced her that they all needed sleep, and she would be the first I'd wake if I needed help.

Reluctantly, everyone agreed, and slowly they all fell asleep. Secretly, I dreaded my turn to sleep, because I knew that dreams would await me – probably more of my mom and dad, and I just didn't want that. After what I judged to be a few hours – to be honest I had no idea – I got bored and decided to wake Rani up. As I leant down to shake her shoulder, I noticed how she was convulsing.  
Her body rocked, and in a panic, I placed my hand onto her shoulder, and instantly I found myself standing next to her, watching a girl who looked a lot like Rani, but with golden eyes, and a tall, Chinese boy.

My hand was still on her shoulder, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't remove it. Suddenly Rani whipped around.

"Silena, _help me._" She cried, and I saw the tears streaming down her face.

"I can't!" I said, still trying to release my hand from her shoulder.

"Help, Silena!" She was screaming this time, and she began to looked scared as she whipped her head from side to side, seemingly trying to locate something – and every time she would, I'd get a mouthful of hair.

"It's too late!" She cried again. "You've got to go Lena, I can't you you can!"  
"I can't Rani!"

From around us, six figures suddenly emerged, shredding the image of the girl and the boy that me and Rani we 'looking' at. Slowly, they began to approach, and I got my first glimpses of them.

One's skin had a blue hue to it, it's one eye was webbed with veins and it wore a blue loin cloth. The other five were similar, but they had different hues to their skins, and they wore differently coloured loin cloths. One was purple, on was yellow, one was black, one was red and one was brown, and together with the blue one, they looked like some messed us rainbow dolls I once saw in the toy store back home.

"So we've got two of the Big Three's Brats." The blue one hissed with laughter.

It marched towards me, and began to prod me with his chubby finger. I noticed how his fingernails were yellow and crooked, just like his teeth when he bared them to me.

"Welcome daughters of Poseidon and Hades."  
I was about to say something when Rani shouted: "PLUTO! NOT HADES! AND WE'RE THEIR GRANDDAUGHTERS!"

It laughed. "Such spirit."

It waved it's hand and the black Cyclops lunged at Rani, but before she could do anything, I summoned Aquatics, and sliced him, my silver blade gliding through his torso like at warm knife through butter. Instantly he disintegrated into dust.

One at a time, they all leaped for us, but me or Rani sliced them, and for a change, their forms didn't appear before us again. Suddenly, the Blue Guy jumped me from behind and pinned me to the ground, sending both mine and Rani's swords clattering – hers shattering. One of his hands wrapped around my bracelet arm, so that I couldn't activate Guardian, and the other whacked down Rani so that she landed next to me with a _thump._

"Finally. I get to kill one of Poseidon's brats." He mused, stroking his thumb down my face. "My father always failed in destroying the god of the Sea himself, so I took it upon myself to rid the world of his spawn – and of course his spawns spawn, and so on and so on. But don't worry Silena, your Father will be next."

As he glided his thumb down my face once more, I waited until it hovered next to my mouth, and bit. I locked my jaw and shook my head, just like a dog, and refused to let go, even when I began to feel the sand fill my mouth. Suddenly, a forced slammed into the side of my head, and I blacked out momentarily. When I regained consciousness, Rani was unconscious next to me, her dark skin covered in even deeper bruises.

I tried to remember that this was just a dream, but the pain felt all to real. Slowly it dawned on me, that if I was to perish in this landscape, I would die out of it as well. I began to struggle, but the Cyclops began to slap me again, and colourful spots began to dance in my vision. Suddenly, another figure barged into my sight. He was huge – at least 10 feet tall – and he had light brown hair. As he thundered closer, I saw he had one milky brown eye, but instead of being scared, I felt that he was here to help. Suddenly he opened his mouth and roared – not like an animal, but just as loud

"FOR PEANUT BUTTER!"

Suddenly he batted the blue Cyclops that had began to crush my bones, and he flew off of me. Instantly, he stood up and charged at the new Cyclops, and they began to struggle, every so often, nearly stamping on me or Rani.

"Little niece," The brown haired Cyclops groaned as the blue _thing _pounced, and thrown him to the floor. "Sword!"

It took me a second to register what he was saying. Woozy, I stumbled my way to my sword, and lifted it from the black mist that seemed to hold us all up. Slowly I stumbled back over to the fight, and with my remaining strength, I hefted the suddenly heavy blade, and brought it down against the blue menace. For a change, my sword struggled, but with one last effort, it entered the blue thing's body, and he disintegrated into dust.

The other remaining Cyclops stood. He towered over me, but he didn't resist to engulf me in an embrace.

"I finally get to meet you!" He roared.

I let free a quiet whimper, as my already brittle bones began to crumble slightly. Instantly, he gently put me down – well as gently as a huge Cyclops can – and his eye filled with tears.

"I an so sorry Silena! Your daddy won't be very happy with me."  
"Nor me," I said, somehow managing a laugh. "I guess we can both be on his slaughter list."  
"No no no. That's no good!" He mumbled, and he grabbed my sword from me.

At first I thought he was going to slice me, but instead he pulled some _things _from his tool belt that had appeared on his waist, and began to tinker with Aquatics, until it shone. I took it back, and admired it. The wave patterns on the silver blade – which now glowed at my touch – were etched with blue, and they too began to glow furiously under my touch, and the sapphire hilt sparkled, so much so that I could stare at it like I would do a mirror. Amazed, I raised my gaze to the huge man.

"Thank you," Was the only thing I could say. "Who _are _you?"  
"Me?" He said, whacking his chest. "I am General of the Cyclops Army for my daddy Poseidon. I am your Uncle. I am Tyson."


	16. Chapter 15

I stare at him as his smile widens. "Say what?"

"I am Tyson. Your Uncle!" He laughs, and he goes to pick me up, but I slap him away, leaving him with a sad expressions.

"You've got to be kidding me, right?"

"Nope. No kidding. Tyson doesn't do kidding."

"Uh... straying away from topic, but Tyson, how on earth did you get here?"  
"Daddy told me where you were. He gave me permission to go and find you – to bring you back. I tracked you down. It was really fun. I saw you in the cave with the other kiddies, and when I saw you beginning to bruise, I touched you, and here I am!"

"So you're _actually _with me?" I ask him, dumbfounded.

"Of course!"

"Oh. OH. _OH GODS NO!"_ I cried as a thought dawned on me.

When the others woke up, and found a huge Cyclops next to me and Rani, they'd kill him. They wouldn't even hesitate.

I began to pull at his arm. "You've got to wake us up! Now Tyson!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"  
"My uh... friends? Once they see you, they'll kill you!"

He laughed, a booming sound. "Of course not! I am nice Cyclops!"

"It won't stop them!"

From behind me, Rani began to stir, and she stood up, gasping. "Lena, who is this?"

"My Uncle. No time to explain. You've got to get us out. If you don't wake up, they'll kill Tyson!"

She closed her eyes, and she began to glow. Slowly, the blackness that surround us three loosened, until we lay back in the cave, panting and bruised. Above us, Callum stood, about to sink his 5 foot spear into Tyson's back.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" I yelled, grabbing his spear and using it to propel myself upwards, landing a kick in Callum's face.

He stumbled backwards, leaving me to fall, spear in hand. I landed on my feet somehow, and behind me, Tyson stood. I turned to face him. "Told you!"  
He blushed, his whole body turning red.

"So," Rani croaked, grimacing as she stood. "We setting off now?"  
"No." Leah said, walking over to her. "We're staying a bit longer. We haven't eaten in days and you need some Ambrosia."  
She dug into her backpack, and tore off a tiny chunk of something that looked suspiciously like Lemon Bars. Leah offered it to Rani, and she took it, swallowing it in one gulped. Instantly, her bruises began to fade. Suddenly feeling drowsy, I remembered my bones, which even now felt like they were crumbling, so I followed Rani's lead, and inhaled a tiny chink of the stuff.

As I swallowed it, I savoured the taste. It tasted just like my mom's home made vanilla ice-cream, obviously blue, obviously delicious. I smile, and face the others as they bustle about, emptying backpacks and tossing the food inside to Callum to cook.

We sit down on the cave floor in a circle, Tiana trapped in between Jake and Marcus, Rani chatting with Marina making plans, Callum and Leah having a hushed argument and Tyson sat next to me, staring at me. After a while I turn to him.

"Uh, Tyson... why are you staring at me?"

"Daddy told me to find _blonde _Silena. I think I've found wrong Silena." He says, grabbing a single curl and wrapping it round his fingers.

"I _am _blonde!" I protest, snatching my hair back.

As I pull it back, I notice how, even in the dim firelight, the blonde slowly drains from my hair, leaving behind a pure black. In shock, I drop my hair, and make a guttural noise in my throat.

Every one stops abruptly, and stares at me.

"Silena-"  
"_I know!"_ I shout, tears threatening to spill over.

I curse myself silently, and blink them back, but still one single drop spills onto my cheek, which Tyson – some how gently – brushes off.

"It's fine." He says, making no sense whatsoever.

"What happened?" Rani asks, breaking the silence.

"I don't know. My blonde just started to... how do I put it?"  
"Leave." Tyson says helpfully.

"Leave? Yeah, leave. My blonde just started to leave my hair, leaving behind _this_!" I say, shaking my black curls in the light.

Tiana's eyes widen slightly, but she says nothing.

"Well..."  
I stayed silent, and soon everyone went back to eating, but not in the strangely care-free way as before, now you could sense the tension in the air. I bite into my sandwich – not blue, sadly – when suddenly Tyson sits bolt upright.

"Magic." He gasps.

Suddenly the tension breaks, and everyone leans forward.

"What?" Tiana groans.

"Magic." Leah gasps. "It has to be magic. Silena's hair, Marina's eyes-"

"Marina's eyes?"

"Yesterday they were blue, now they're brown."

Everyone – including me – turn to face Marina, who looks away, but her eyes, instead of shining out to everyone, now blend in with the darkness, and realising that everyone is staring at her, she blushes and looks away.

"And, _why, _would it be magic?" Tiana groans again, rolling her eyes this time.

Leah flushes. "Oh, _I _don't know Tiana. But it's the only reason. Oh, and aren't you the only one here who can use sorcery?"

This time it's Tiana who flushes. "You better shut your mouth girly, or I _will _pulverise you!"

"No!" Leah yells, and stands up.

Tiana pushes herself up and launches for Leah, but before she reaches her, Callum intercepts and catches her mid run.

"You better sit down." He says, his face red with effort as Tiana struggles and trashes against him. He sighs, and I notice the smoke gently rolling off his hands. Instantly Tiana screams, and for some reason stops struggling.  
Callum plops Tiana down next to Marcus and Jake, who stare at him. Callum shrugs at them and sits next to Leah, where he meets my gaze. After a few seconds I raise my eyebrows at him, and he understands my question.

"One good thing that I inherited from my mom was poison. Plants come with poison, and I used a paralysing poison on Tiana. She'll be fine in about 30 minutes."  
I smirk and shake my head at him. "You idiot."

He gives me a mock salute. "That's my job kiddo."

"Dude, I'm two years younger than you!"  
"Kiddo."

I snarl at him, but he just laughs at me, like I'm some cute puppy. From beside me, Tyson smiles slightly, and tilts his head to one side.

"You are like Ella. Ella was a harpy." He says absent mindedly, and he brings out some scraps of bronze from his pockets and begins to fiddle around, when suddenly he whips his head up and sniffs the air.

"Monster. Very close."

"How can you tell?" Marina asks him, suddenly alert.

"Its slightly stronger. Even I have trouble sniffing out monsters in Tartarus."

Marina stands up just as the Chimera burst into the cave, smashing the entrance, and sending cracks etching through the roof. I whip my head around.

"RANI! THE ROOF!" I yell over the noise.

Somehow she hears me, and with a look of panic her eyes, she raises her arms above her head, and concentrates. Almost instantly her face reddens, and her whole body shakes as if she's physically holding up the roof.  
I tear my attention from her just as Callum is engulfed in a blast of fire. The flames lick around his body and reach towards me. I close my eyes and hold my arms out in front of me. I remember all the visits to the beach with my dad and summon the ocean. Tyson stands next to me, and takes my hand.

"My daddy Poseidon! I will help you!"  
I don't let him distract me, but as the the flames come too close, I haven't been able to summon anything. I hide under my arms, knowing that it's too late to summon my shield, when Tyson pushes me behind him. I fall to the ground and he takes the full blast, but the heat still sears. Suddenly the flames stop, and I peer around Tyson's legs to see Jake and Marcus propel Tiana up into the air as she aims her lightning arrows at the Chimera's head. I notice how his hide is riddled with craters, most likely caused by the arrows.

I scramble from Tyson and ready Guardian as I sprinted towards the Chimera, dodging it's blasts. I catch glimpses of Marina running forwards with her knife, dodging the beast's tail, Leah growing thorns around it's legs, Callum tossing his spear, Jake tossing three of his throwing knives at a time and Marcus flying around, carrying Tiana as she continues to shoot. I roll under the tail as it swings at my legs, and I jab at the Chimera's butt, causing sand to pour out of the cut.

Suddenly, the Chimera launches backwards, hitting me with its leg and sending me rolling through the air. As I turn, I see it's tail come towards me, and somehow I somersault in mid air and dodge it by centimetres. I land on my feet, only stumbling a little, and from my the corner of my eye, I see Marina gesture to me. I raise an eyebrow, and suddenly a fire spirals through my leg. I feel the spikes leave my body, and I fall to the ground, just as I did when that Kelli thing attacked me. I feel the fire rush through my body and I find the power to scream.

"_Silena!_" Callum screams, and I hear a loud thud.

"Callum, what are you _doing?!_" Tiana shouts, momentarily distracted.

I hear another series of thuds and grunts, and suddenly I find Callum at my side, gingerly prodding my leg. Black spots dance in my vision, and my hearing goes funny.

"Silena," Callum says, his voice echoing in my skull. "Are you okay?"

I manage a nod, but Callum digs around in his backpack until he finds a perfectly formed square of ambrosia, and without thinking he shoves half of it into my mouth. Instantly, my vision clears, and I see everything in such detail I'm stuck for words. I watch as the cracks in the rocks above slowly join together and rain down microscopic grains. My hearing improves so much so, that even over the noise, I can hear everyone's panting, quiet grunting and the occasional swearing – Greek and English. I stand up, but suddenly a different type of fire races through my body. I collapse into Callum's arms as my legs go weak.

Over the roar of blood in my ears, I hear a triumphant woop as the Chimera smokes and disappears.

"SOMEONE!" Callum screams, and Marina runs over.

When she bends over me, even in my state, my eyesight is amazing. I notice that her eyes are in fact now a dark, earth brown, and that her hair was slightly longer and silkier. But then I also noticed something else; something that probably only a Child of Death should've been able to see. When Marina bent down, her form changed, so much that she looked like a... a female version on Nico di Angelo.

Suddenly, my hearing shut off, and everyone around me started yelling. Marina began to yell, motioning furiously with her hands, and Callum yelled right back at her. I had no idea what they were saying, but I could feel my temperature rising.

I tried to remember what Chiron had taught me back at camp – that too much of the godly stuff, or Nectar and Ambrosia as he had called it, would burn a demigod up. I began to panic, and with my last bit of energy, I think I screamed.

Next thing I knew, my clear vision popped, rocks rained everywhere and I blacked out.

**I know my chapters are short, but soon enough they're going to get longer - sorry :/**


	17. Chapter 16

"Lena?" Someone sobbed from above me.

I felt a drop of moisture fall onto my skin, and my eyes fluttered open. Rani was leaning over me, her eyes glittering. Her frizzy curls were a mess, her skin was filthy and covered in bruises and cuts.

"Oh my gods," I muttered, sitting myself up. "What happened to you?"

"Silena! Thank the gods you're okay!" She squealed, and enclosed me into a hug.

"But seriously," I mumbled into her shoulder. "What happened to you?"  
She pulled away. "You're not gonna shut up about it are you?"  
I shook my head and she sighed.

"Fine. After you blacked out – and started smoking may I add – I couldn't hold the cave. Tyson go all you guys out, and the cave collapsed on me."

"_What?! _You're talking about it like it's no big deal! You could've died!"

"So could've you."  
"How did you get out?"  
"Oh, I could move the rocks fine, just couldn't hold them up. The underground is easy for me, so it was like a kiddies maze getting out."

I shook my head fondly at her. "You're nuts."

"Haven't been told _that _in a while – mostly I'm called brave, beautiful, amazing-"

"Oh shut up!" I said in between laughs. "I think you've missed out: vain. You're sounding just like Tiana!"

She smiled at me, and stood up. She held her hand out to me, pulled me up, and suddenly I realised something.

"Where are the others?" I asked Rani, my smile fading.

Her smile dropped. "I told them to carry on. They had to go and find your parents."  
"What?!"

"I'm sorry Silena."

I closed my eyes, and suddenly my hearing improved. I could hear faint monster roars, cursing in Greek, and the sound of feet in the distance – but not monster feet. I turned around and let my hearing point me in the right direction.

"That way," I said when I opened my eyes again and pointed. "They went that way."  
Rani scanned where I was pointing. "How do you know?"  
"I could hear them."

She looked at me sceptically. "Huh?"  
I shrugged my shoulders. "Just follow me."  
"But-"  
"Can you hear them walking towards a trap? No. I can." I snapped, and I started jogging off in the direction on the faint feet noises, which were getting fainter and fainter. From behind me I heard Rani sigh, but she ran after me.

"So how can you be sure it's them?" She says after a while.

"I don't know." I panted. "To be honest I don't even know, but right now, I'm our best shot."  
"And you said I was vain." She said, stopping.

"HEY!" I pouted, giving her a shove.

She laughed, and we sat down in the open, when I heard a roar – that could've only been close. Rani heard it too, and she swore in English, and I couldn't help but laugh. Together, we stood back-to-back – the way Chiron had trained us to – drew our weapons – me Aquatics, and Rani a new knife made out of some sort of gold – and awaited the oncoming monster, but nothing happened. I closed my eyes, and once again my hearing enhanced.

Not that far away, I heard the sound of metal clanging, like multiple weapons attacking the same thing, but instead of the monster coming towards us, it was being pushed away. With a gasp, I opened my eyes and took off running the the same direction. Rani quickly took after me, and after about two minutes of running, we saw the monster.

It wasn't that much different from the Cyclops, but this one was massive – about 20 feet tall. His huge eye was black, and gleaming, and it was swatting down his his huge calloused hands.

"You're as bad as the gods!" I rumbled, and the earth shook around me.

I heard a bunch of yells, and the clanging began again, but this time the monster was winning. It swatted down again, and I heard the sound of bodies making impact on the hard rock. Mortal bodies. I heard a bunch of screaming, and I knew there was at least four people there, and one of them was seriously hurt.

"-Per!" I heard a male voice yell over the chaos.

_Piper. _I thought instantly, and one look from Rani, I knew I was right.

_We had found my parents._

Once I knew what I was looking at, my vision tunnelled. I watched in horror, as the cut, bruised and broken group of adults continued fighting as my mom ran over to Piper. I could see perfectly, even from this distance. My dad ran behind the Cyclops and began to scale it's armour and Clarisse La Rue and Nico di Angelo try to hold him from the front. I notice Jason flying overhead, carrying Leo, who throws fire at the Cyclops, narrowly missing my dad, who screams.

I knew they were losing – they had no chance. I looked over to Rani, fear probably clear on my face, and from her expression I knew she had understood my intentions. Together in one smooth motion, we fell onto one knee and plunged our fists into the ground. Cracks began to ran from where our fists had made contact, and suddenly the raced towards the Cyclops. The ground thundered – if that was even possible – and the giant threw my dad over his shoulder. Clarisse and Nico caught him, and dragged him over to where my mom and Piper where just as the cracks grew into huge gashes in the ground.

The Cyclops stumbled as the ground continued to shake, but it was slowly stopping. I knew that I had to keep it going but I knew _I _had no chance, but still, I used my last ace.

"_DAD!" _I screamed, praying to . that he would hear me.

His head whipped around, and he saw me. I saw his eyes widen, and he forced himself to stand. Rani left my side, and rushed towards the parents, and I locked eyes with my dad, hoping he would understand me.

I channelled all the anger, sadness and bitterness I had carried this trip, and let it out in one, long yell. I didn't pause for breath, and suddenly the earth rumbled violently. The ground around the Cyclops cracked open, and the stone slab he was standing on teetered. I kept up my scream, and my perfect vision wobbled, and only then did I understand how dangerous the task I was performing was. Chunks of rock rained down, but Rani kept them from hitting the adults and herself. I forced my last breath into my shout, and the stone where the Cyclops was standing shattered, sending him falling even deeper into the earth.

Afterwards, what happened, I had no clue. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, I couldn't smell, I couldn't feel – my body had began to shut down.

_ ' ._

I fell to the ground, that was the only thing I was sure on. When I regained my senses, I saw eight faces looming over me, and as soon as they saw my eyes, my parents swooped down. I was still weak, but they held me, and I felt my strength returning.

"Oh my gods, Silena." My dad sobbed into my shoulder.

"We thought we'd lost you." My mom mumbled into my black curls.

"It's okay." I manage to say, but it was incredibly quiet.

"C'mon Prissy." A burly woman said from the back of the group.

She stepped forward. Her lanky brown hair was matted, her brown eyes were wild, and her skin was shredded. This was Clarisse. Daughter of Ares.

I pushed myself away from my parents. "Shut up Clarisse. Can you just be patient for one minute!"

She smiled, and for a second she resembled a woman – who could've been quite pretty really – and not a thorough bread warrior. "You got spunk kid." She smiled.

My mom handed both me and Piper a chunk of ambrosia square each and we both swallowed. Instantly, my hearing and vision cleared, and everything didn't sound and look like I was underwater. I noticed Piper staring at me.

"They're gone." I said to her, and she flinched like I was reading her mind, but she looked like she was about to cry. "OH. Not _gone _gone, just went-on-without-us gone." I rushed.

She smiled weakly, and Jason picked her up like she weighed no more that a rag doll. He spoke into her hear quietly.

"I can't believe you went into battle Beauty Queen. You were already weak."

"I couldn't let you get hurt." She smiled, and she raised her hand to his cheek, and he smiled down at her.

I couldn't help but smile a little at them.

"_Where_ is _Callum_ and _Leah_, Rani?"

I turned around to see Leo shouting at Rani, who looked close to tears. I walked over to them. "They went ahead with Tiana, Jake, Marcus and Marina."

"_Wait!"_ Nico shouted. "Why the _Hades _is Marina down here?"

I didn't answer him, but my dad restrained him before he could do anything. "I think we should cool down a bit – don't you Silena?" He said, giving me a knowing smirk.

Next thing I knew, everyone around me – including my mom – was soaked, and me and my dad burst into hysterics, earning deadly glances from everyone. I clapped my hands.

"We better be moving if we wanna find the others." I said, and I closed my eyes.

"That way." I said pointing west. "They're that way."  
"Uh, Silena, how do you know?" Leo asked me.

"I can _hear _it."  
"Huh?"  
"Long story short," Rani began. "We were all attacked by the Chimera. Silena got poisoned, Callum gave her _way _too much ambrosia, and she almost died. When she came round, her senses all dramatically improved."

Leo flushed. "Uh, sorry then Silena."

I waved him off. "Lets go."

I began to run, and I heard the footsteps of the others after me. Soon, my breathing quickened, and slowly, one by one, everyone over took me, except from Piper, who jogged alongside me.

"You look just like Silena – well what she looked like in her younger pictures." She smiled at me.

"Huh?" I pant, my chest constricting.

"Silena died just before I came to Camp, but you look just like her." She said again, and for some reason I began to blush.

I felt my scalp tingle, and suddenly Piper's perfect eyebrows shot up her forehead.

"And it looks like you have her magic too." She said, her voice steely calm.

"Piper, I have no magic. Well, apart from the Poseidon stuff, but-"

"Silena. Watch my lips: .magic." She said, and suddenly she lunged at me.

I tried to side step her, but she was too fast. Before I could even do anything, she held a clump of hair in her hands. The hair was red – like, _red _red, blood red – and as my eyes followed to where it was connected to, I gasped.

It was my hair.

Suddenly, the colour began to swirl, and it became a speckled mix of brown, blonde, pink and purple. Piper laughed gently, and dropped my hair.

"Your hair mimics your emotions," She began. "And as I'm guessing, I'd say you're confused."

"Damn right!"

I heard my dad snicker.

"Shut up Prissy!" Clarisse jeered.

I shoved pass Piper, and ran to join my dad, and I noticed my hair returning to it's natural blonde.

"Hey Lena." He said, slowing down a bit so I didn't have to sprint to keep up with him. "How's everything with your...um... hair?"  
"Shut up." I grumbled. "Don't you wanna hear how I survived down here?"

"A little..."  
"You, my dearest father, are a complete cheese ball." I said, poking him in the ribs.

He stopped for a second, and flashed me a stupid face: crossed eyes, crinkled nose, tongue hanging floppily from his mouth, then he ran again.

After a few more hours of jogging/running/walking/me-hitching-a-ride-on-my-d ads-back-as-he-tries-not-to-collapse, we all stop and set up a camp. I'm about to call to Leah, asking her to supply a couple chunks of wood, when I remember that she isn't there. From beside me, Rani places her hand onto the ground, and a mound of coal erupts near Leo's feet, and he instantly lights them.

I lean over to Rani. "What was that?" I whisper.

"I can control most things under the earth."

"Dude, that was _coal, _not a gemstone."  
"Hey, don't lame me! It was under the earth!"

I smiled at her, and stared at the flames before me as the danced, illuminating the hollow faces of everyone surrounding it. I looked at the seven older demigods. Piper was nestled between Jason's arms, my mom laid her head in my dads lap, and as he played with her hair, she slapped him, Leo sat fiddling with a bunch of pieces of scrap metal, Nico stared into the flames sadly and Clarisse sat sat upright, her hand on her spear, which crackled with electricity.

My dad lifted his eyes from my mom's now filthy blonde curls, and motioned for me to come over to him. Slowly, without trying to attract attention to myself, I left Rani's side, and crept to my dad, and as my mom sat up, I sat in his lap, snuggling my head into his chest. I felt his arm wrap around me protectively, and I looked up at my mom, who poked her tongue out at me – which I returned. She smiled, and I closed my eyes.

Slowly I felt myself drift off to sleep, and before I knew it, I was watching my friends.

Callum marched ahead of the crows, flames dancing in little lines around his body, and I thought I could see smoke pouring out his ears. Tiana marched to join up with him, and grabbed his shoulder, of which he shook violently.

"I don't understand why you're so angry Callum!" She roared, sparks flying from her hands.

He whipped around, and began stalking backwards, his arms outstretched in a sarcastic motion. "Oh I don't know Tiana! Maybe it's because Marina's missing, and it's all my fault!" He screamed, and for the first time, I saw the tears roll down his face, leaving a trail of steam behind them.

"It's her fault the basilisks got her!"

"Really? Of course it is! I couldn't have cremated them, could I? I just _had _to let the nine year old go off into battle – without us!"

"Callum, you didn't know." Leah said quietly, taking her brothers hand.

This seemed to cool him down slightly. Literally. The smoke stopped emerging from his ears. But he still had the pained look in his eyes.

"But I could've stopped them Leah. I watched her disappear." He said, and the tears began to run slower, but with more power.

Jake and Marcus stood – well hovered - gingerly behind Tiana, and I watched their hair change slightly – from their usual icy blonde to a dirty blonde, which probably meant they were kinda scared.

"Callum, get over yourself!" Tiana scoffed, tossing her blonde hair, which was still miraculously clean. "She wasn't important. She wanted to go on this quest. She knew the dangers, but she still came."

"Tiana!" Leah cried, her eyes wide.

Suddenly Callum's whole body erupted into flame. " .Hades. Did you just say?!"  
"We lose heroes all the time. Who cares about a stupid second generation?"

"You're a second generation!"

"Yeah. Of two gods. One of which is the _king _of gods."

"That doesn't make you the queen of the demigods!"

"Who says?" She said, a smirk lining her perfect face.

"Me." Callum and Leah said in unison, standing side by side.

Jake and Marcus hovered nervously around as the silent stand off began. Suddenly, a huge earthquake shook the ground, and a labyrinth of cracks lined the floor.

**What did you think? (Sorry it's taking me so long to upload now) Please tell me in the reviews :3**


	18. Chapter 17

I woke with a start. My parents were calling my name.

"C'mon Lean, we've got to get moving."

I opened my eyes to see everyone staring down at me impatiently, and I felt the ends of my hair turning bright red – unnaturally red. I quickly stood up, brushed myself off and slung my backpack over my shoulder. Clarisse marched on and we all ran after her, when suddenly I heard a loud screeching.  
"Did you her that?" I whispered to Rani as I caught up with her.

"What?"  
"The screeching."

"Nope."

I heard the sound again, and clamped my hands over my ears, hoping to drown out the sounds, which continued to grow in volume. I fell the ground just as a huge lion-like creature with wings swooped overhead.

"Get down!" Rani screamed as about a dozen more of the crazy birds bombed us.

Everyone fell down before the birds clawed them. We all drew our weapons, and pushed up into a sprint. Leo threw fireballs blindly as he ran, every so often barbecuing one of the things.  
"What are they?!" I shouted as I disintegrated one that flew too near.

"Gryffons!" My mom shouted, landing in a roll as she was dropped by one.

We followed them as they flew away, running as fast as we could so that we didn't lose them. I ran alongside Rani, but when I glanced behind me, I saw that a Gryffon had caught my dad's face, causing a huge gash running along one side to pour with blood. I gritted my teeth and pushed myself harder, imagining I was chasing the wood nymphs at Camp. Suddenly, I found myself surging ahead when the Gryffons flew in a funnel formation and flew upwards, disappearing into the darkness.

I made my sword return to bracelet form, and let my hands clamp onto my knees, and I began to pant. After a while, I heard everyone form around me.

"Where did they go?" Clarisse growled, scanning the darkness for the birds.

"They - flew – up." I managed to gasp out.

I saw Rani open her mouth to comment, when suddenly I heard another noise. A familiar noise.

"Tiana!" I heard someone shout, but it was really faint.

I closed my eyes and concentrated.  
Callum: "What in Hades did you just say?"

Tiana: "We lose heroes all the time. Who cares about a stupid second generation."  
Callum: "You;re a second generation!"  
Tiana: "Yeah, of _two _gods. One of which is the _king _of the gods!"

Leah: "Which doesn't make you the queen of the demigods!"

Tiana: "Who says?"  
Callum and Leah: "Me."

Suddenly, I understood what was about to happen. I snapped open my eyes, and watched in horror as bits of rock began to rain down.  
Even though I was winded, I started into a sprint again. I heard everyone follow me, and carried on sprinting when the tremors began. I dodged, ducked and rolled under the huge chunks of rock came falling down, and managed not to get crushed. I leaped over crevices as they formed in the earth, and only hoped that everyone would be able to follow me. I heard high pitched screaming, I knew something bad had happened to my friends.  
"Help me!" I heard someone cry, and as much as it hurt me, I knew it was Leah.

"Leah, hold on!" Callum sobbed loudly.

Suddenly a huge wall of rock landed in front of me, sending another tremor, and knocking me off my feet. As I landed with a thunk, I quickly scanned the area to see where the rock ended. Apparently it wasn't anywhere close, so in frustration, I punched the wall. Another earthquake rumbled, and the rock crumbled under my touch. I began to sprint again, but slower this time, when suddenly I saw Callum leaning over a pit with his arms outstretched.

"LEAH, DON'T LET GO!" He screamed, and he lowered himself deeper in.

I ground to a stop, sending a cloud of debris flying behind me. Nico materialised next to me, and I saw Jason hovering overhead. Blinking back tears at what I saw, I ran over to them, earning myself a stitch. When I saw how far down Leah was in the pit, I let my tears go.

"Silena!" She yelled, and Callum whipped his head around to look at me.

Suddenly, one of Leah's hands slipped from her hold on a shelf of rock, and she screamed again.

"Grab my ankles." Callum said quickly, and before I knew what he was doing, he leaped.

I grabbed his ankles just in time, and he crashed into the wall. His hand was only 15 centimetres, at most, away from his sister, and in desperation, she flung her arm up to him. He grabbed onto her, and suddenly I began to slip. I dug my feet into the earth and pleaded with myself to stay there. I tensed my muscles, and began to pull them up. With my last ounce of strength, I flung them up behind me.

They landed in a heap, and after coughing a couple of times, they pulled me up, my body limp. Leah cradled me, when one of the other cracks split open, and Callum fell through.

"Callum!" Leo screamed.  
I turned around to see him charge forward, and suddenly filled with adrenalin, I pounced up and jogged over to the crevice. Callum was even father down than Leah was. There was no way we'd be able to get him, but still I leant over.  
Callum's face was pale with effort as he tried to haul himself up, but for some reason, whenever he managed to pull himself slightly upwards, an invisible force yanked him back down. I thrust down my hand, but he shook his head.  
"You know as well as I do Lena. You can't get me." He groaned, his grip loosening.

I felt like I was being torn to shreds. A new feeling emerged inside of me, and with tears threatening to spill, and leant over more.

"Callum, please. Don't give up. It;s just a little farther."  
I knew I was right, but I knew it was impossible. Something was trying to drag him down, something more powerful than any of us. He shook his head, and locked eyes with me. The hair that dangled in front of my face changed to my natural light blonde, and with one last sad look, he let go.

**Hey guys, i won't be updating in a while. Why? Because i'm going through my story again. I'm going to be editing it, so that it (Hopefully) always makes sense when you read it. As many of you have mentioned, my tenses are always switching, so when im finished, hopefully this issue will be sorted out. Please, uh, stay tuned, i guess :D**


	19. Chapter 19

"_Callum!"_ I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I let my tears fall, and I felt Rani lift me from the earth as I sobbed. I faintly heard the sound of Leah screaming, but I couldn't hear it well over my broken cries. Rani held me, and I sobbed into her already dirty shirt.

"Hey, it's all right. Everything's gonna be fine. This is Callum. He's gonna be fine." She mumbled, but she was crying too.

I knew my hair was changing colour again but I didn't even register it. I was too busy with a new emotion that had found me. I felt like someone had torn my heart in half, gave me one half to keep, and threw the other into the pit after Callum. Slowly my sobs turned into choking sounds, and for the first time did I hear the clarity in Leah screams. She pounded against her father, who was sobbing too. Her hair was in rat tails, her face was streaked with grime and tears, and she kicked against Leo, who held her up, trying to calm her.  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tiana. Her face was sad, but it was more like she just flushed her dead goldfish down the toilet, not lost her boyfriend down the pit of Death. I stormed over to her – literally. I could feel the air rotating furiously around me – and once I got close enough, I slapped her.

"You let this happen!" I screeched at her, but she just stared at me blankly.

"No I didn't you prat! I just watched my best friend and boyfriend fall down a friggen pit!" She shouted, and suddenly she crumpled. Her once beautiful features contorted with agony, and she began to sob. Her body shook violently, and she began to spark.

I felt someone drag me away from her, and when they let me go, I saw it was Piper. I flushed, because she just saw me slap her daughter, but still she held her arms out to me. I walked into them and let her hold me.

"It's okay," She said, and instantly I knew she was charmspeaking me, but I didn't mind. "He's gonna be fine Silena. I know you love him-"  
I broke the spell. "_Love _him?" I choked out.

"Of course." Piper said sadly. "Why do you think you're reacting this way?"

"I'm thirteen Piper. I don't know what love is."  
"But you do. You love your parents, don;t you? You love Rani and Leah. And you love Callum. There's many kinds of love, Lena, but they're not all that different."

I stared into her eyes, and she wiped away the tears that were still falling from my eyes gently. "It'll be okay. I promise you he'll be fine."

"I'm sorry." I said, suddenly not meeting her eyes.

"For what?"

"For slapping your daughter."

"Oh, it's fine. I quite often want to slap her. I know that sounds terrible, but she can be a right cow sometimes."  
"But she had it worse. She had just lost her boyfriend."  
"Lena. If you like Callum, go for him. He'll chose who he wants."

I shook my head, clearly confused. I thanked Piper quickly, and went over to Leah, who was starting to calm down a tad. She was still sobbing, but as I went over to her, she ran to me, and wrapped her arms around me.

"He's gone Lena! He's really gone. He said he would protect me." She sobbed into my hair.

"He did protect you," I said softly, gently prising her off of me. "He jumped into a crevice to save you, and the earthquake pulled him down."  
"It's all my fault!" She screamed, and Leo had to drag her away from me. I watched as he picked her up into a hug, and held her like she was no more than five – not the thirteen year old she was. I sunk to the balls of my feet, and felt someone behind me. I looked up to see my mom and dad look down at me sympathetically.

"He'll be fine Lena." My mom said.

This got me angry for some reason. "_How? _He just fell down a fricken hole! He won't be okay. He just-" I shouted, and I broke down again.

My dad caught me, and shot a look at my mom, who nodded.

"Silena, do you know what happened to me and your mom a... uh... while back?"

"You fell. You fell into this hell hole." I sobbed.

He looked a bit shocked, but carried on. "And we made it out. Alive. Both of us. We had each other and that's all we needed. Callum will make it out. He's strong Lena. Stronger in ways you don't even know possible. He _will _make it out."

I pushed away from my dad before he could try any more 'inspirational' speaches, and walked over to Rani, who was sobbing over the edge of the pit. I sat down next to her and hugged her.

"He's dead. I can feel it." She sobbed. It was a broken sob – the kind that could've only come from losing your best friend. Or someone who meant something a little more.

"He's not dead Rani. He can't be."

"He _is _Silena. I can _feel _it! It's not hard!" She sobbed again.

I looked over to Nico, who looked broken as Jake – or Marcus – told him the news about Marina. He looked over to me suddenly, and I silently asked him. Was Callum really dead?  
He shook his head, as if he was reading my mind.

I helped Rani stand, and waited as Jason began to address us all.

"We've got to keep moving." He said, taking glances at Leah and Leo. "For Callum. Nico says that we're near the other entrance to Tartarus at the Underworld. If we don't stop, we'll make it there in... I dunno... 1-2 days tops. Any longer than that, and I don't know. We have _no _supplies left – apart from the clothes on our backs and our weapons. What about you guys?"

"Nothing." Tiana said, smiling at her dad, despite the situation. "I agree though. We've got to keep going. What would Callum say if he knew we had given up."  
"Can you _stop _talking about him in the past tense!" I shouted. "He's not dead! At least not yet!"

My dad nodded, and shot a look at Jason who cringed away. "Lets get going."

We all set off, my dad taking back, Nico and Rani leading us. After a while, I began to feel sleepy, but I ignored it. After a while, I began to hear noises, and I panicked. I knew that whenever I heard noises, an attack happened.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. It took me a while, but I managed to distinguish what the noise was. Feet. Marching feet. Lost of marching feet. Heading towards us. I was about to warn everybody when the first attack happened.

A Gryffon swooped down, and was about to impale Leah with it's talons, when Clarisse struck it with her electric spear. The fizzing bronze went right through it's body, and it disintegrated into golden dust. We all readied our weapons as the rest of the monsters attacked. I swung my sword as four Gryffons swooped down at me. One slashed my arm, another sliced my cheek, but I killed them before they could do any real damage. I felt the ground rumble, and suddenly huge tendrils of spiked vines burst from the ground and enveloped around about ten Gryffons and shredded them. It was Leah doing her training move. I watched as she drew her knife and began slashing away.

Whilst I was distracted, I didn't notice the sound of more monsters marching for us. Suddenly, I felt myself being thrown to the ground, and I watched in terror as the Vampires – _Empousi –_ surrounded me. I was too scared to react, and just as they all lunged for me, they were all impaled with bits of gem. Rani helped me to my feet just as we were surrounded by a, uh, herd of Empousi and Laistrygonians.

"Get behind me!" I yelled, and I drew Guardian.

All around me, the crazy vampire girls were disintegrated immediately, leaving behind piles of dust. The giants charged us, but wave after wave, the glow from my shield illuminated the darkness, and vaporised them all. Every time it felt like we were winning; we had the battle under control, another wave of monsters charged. From Cyclopses – I was getting sick of them by now – to Centaurs, they all attacked us. Finally, we were overwhelmed. My shield wasn't working, Rani lost contact with the earth, Leah had collapsed, Tiana had run out of arrows, Jake and Marcus had lost their knives, and the rest of us were just too tired.

That's when the _real _army came.

They came marching over a non-existent hill: Cyclopses, Centaurs, Dragons, a Drakon and many more monsters. They marched in formation, and as soon as they laid their horrid eyes on us, they charged.

I glanced at Rani and she nodded at me. I readied my sword, she readied her golden knife. My dad and mom appeared at my side, Leo next to them and Clarisse, Nico, Piper and Jason stood next to Rani. They – _we _- were all winded, but together, we guarded the unconscious, unarmed group of teenagers behind us. The army came into range, and Leo began hurling his fire, disintegrating a galloping herd of Centaurs. Clarisse glared at the Drakon, broke our line of fire and charged the beast, which made my dad scream at her. He didn't have time to carry out the treats that were in that scream, as it was cut short by the arrival of our enemies.

Immediately we were surrounded. Me and Rani were separated from the parents, but we held out fine; we knew each other's fighting style. Whilst she would go for the attack, I would watch her back. She would take on the biggest, toughest of the monsters, and I would take the army. Every time she would win, but each time her strength weakened. Whilst she was challenging a huge, red, scaly, dragon, her golden dagger snapped. Rani was sent flying by the whip of the monster's tail, and I was left standing. I whipped around to see her flying towards the Drakon's open mouth, and screamed.

Suddenly, Jason flew overhead and yanked her out of reach of the Drakon's mouth. He carried her in one arm, using the other to swing his sword at any airborne monsters. Something scratched against my unprotected back, and brought me back to the battle. I felt blood slowly ooze out of my cut, but ignored it. I slashed away at the oncoming monsters. Cuts lined my bloody, dirty body, but I carried on slicing.

My mind wasn't on the battle any more. As I was in the middle of my fight, my mind wandered to the day that I was told who I really was. It seemed so long ago. I remembered my fury, and suddenly, my energy increased. I had lost too many people to who I really was. Most of them had returned, but they still had been taken from me.

The wind around my roared, and my shredded clothes whipped around me. I continued to murder the monsters, but they struggled to get close enough to touch me. The pit of Tartarus was filled with a strange silver-green light, and I looked down at myself. I was glowing. My clothes were slowly knitting themselves back together, turning into glowing metal, and my cuts and scars were disappearing. I was surround by pure air which smelled like the ocean, and my senses sharpened. I could see better than every before. I could see the slightest movement of the monsters – I could predict their next move. I advanced the beasts, and in a wave of confidence, I summoned a tidal wave of water.

Somehow it worked. They ocean wind around me thickened and left me. It surround the monsters, and crashed down on them in one swift current of water. I felt exhausted. Slowly, I began to slow, and the glow faded. My senses left me, and the armour did too. Suddenly, a golden dragon launched itself at me, disarmed me, and before I knew what had happened, I was sent sprawling onto the cold, hard ground. My head hit the earth with a thump, and I was disorientated. I began to couch, and I placed my hand against my mouth roughly, and when I pulled it away, even in the darkness, I could see the thick blood of which covered it.

I began to shake violently, and the swarm of beasts thickened around me. They began to circle me, but suddenly, something burst through them.

My dad.

He was fuming. Everywhere he stepped, the earth shook. He swung his sword, and in one deadly arc, he disintegrated the front line of beasts. My vision began to grow black as I began to couch again. My mom appeared beside me, her knife drawn, and with one hand, took both on mine.

"Gods." She muttered. "What happened?"

"I-" I began, but I couldn't finish my sentence. Another wave of blood came pouring from my mouth, and in pure terror, I began to scream.

My dad fought harder. In the heat of the moment, I was so absorbed by him, I didn't even feel my mother holding me. He sliced, slashed, and killed so many monsters I couldn't even imagine how many. When it seemed like everything was going well for him, something moved in the corner of my eye.

One of the 'dead' monsters hadn't disintegrated. It began to stir, and slowly it crept towards my father. It was close. Too close. In a last ditch attempt, I screamed out for my dad. But everything went wrong from there. He whipped around to look at me, and the monster pounced.

It landed on my father and tackled him to the ground. In one swift motion, it struck my dad in the stomach. He screamed. A scream full of pure pain, terror and hurt, it was unreal. My mom jumped to her feet, and ran to my dad. She stabbed the monster in the back, and it disintegrated. She knelt next to my dad, and began to weep.

I know something was bad. I forced myself to stand, and watching my mother kneel over my father sobbing, I was filled with dread – and fury. I closed my eyes, and not thinking about anyone, I activated Guardian. I hit my wrist so hard, it hurt, and the shield spiralled out immediately. Behind my closed eyelids, everything went bright. I heard the painful cries of monsters and demigods alike, and I when it was all quiet, I slapped my wrist again.

I opened my eyes, and everything was gone. _Everything._

What had I done?

"Mom!" I screamed into the silence, my voice echoing off the endless walls.

In the echoes, I heard my desperation, my sadness. They must've heard it too, because I heard my mothers thick voice.

"Here Silena."

Slowly, I turned around, and I saw them in the distance. They were all crowded around something. Even Leah, Tiana, Marcus, Jake and Rani. I sprinted over to them, blood still slowly dripping from my mouth, and stopped suddenly when I saw what they were crowded around.

_My dad._

My vision tunnelled. Someone tried to hold me back, but I spat a mouthful of blood and saliva in their face. I made my way to my father as he laid on the ground, my mother cradling his head in her lap.

"Please Percy, don't go." She pleaded, her tears dripping onto his pale face.

He was pale – deathly pale. He didn't move, but he was still breathing. My dad, Perseus Jackson, the unforgettable, legendary, hero of Olympus, savour of the world, was... was... _dying. _And there was no denying it. He wouldn't make it through today.

I threw myself down and sobbed into his chest. I felt his arm wrap around me, still trying to protect me. But for a change, there was something he couldn't protect me from.

_Himself._

He weakly stroked my curls. "What happened to you." He choked.

"Daddy, don't go." I sobbed, ignoring his question.

"_What _happened to you?" He demanded, lifting up my chin to face him.

"I got hurt." I gurgled, just as blood began to drip again.

I pushed his hand from my chin, and looked at his stomach, where the monster had stabbed him. The wound was deep, bloody, and worst of all: green. There was no way to save him.

I put my forehead to his chest and counted his breaths.

_1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9..._

I got to 30 before it stopped.

I whipped my head from his still chest, looked at his dead, green eyes, and screamed. My mom broke. She screamed as well, but she kept on shaking my dad.

"_Percy, don't go! Don't leave me. I need you!" _She screamed, and she wouldn't let go.

In the end, Jason had to haul her away from dad. Rani yanked me from him as I lost control, and she held me. I kicked against her but she held me tight. I screamed still, and I watched as tears slid down everyone's faces – including Clarisse's. I watched in agony as Nico sadly dragged my dad away from me, and I slunk to the floor. Rani knelt down next to me, and stared into my eyes. Her golden eyes were tearful.

"C'mon," She said. "You can do this. If anyone can get through this, it's you. Keep yourself together. Crying wont solve anything."

Tears still slid down my face, but they slowed down considerably. Rani smiled sadly at me, and handed me a crushed square of ambrosia.

"Here. You need it."

I swallowed it and thanked her weakly. The blood stopped flowing from my mouth, and the pain lifted from my chest. Well, I let myself think that. I felt someone rest their head on my shoulder, and it turned out it was my mom. I turned myself around, and held her. She wrapped her arms around me, and I began to cry again.

"I want to go home." I said quietly.

She nodded, but I continued to think it.

_I want to go home. I want to leave this nightmare. I want to go home._

I closed my eyes, and I began to hear everyone screaming.

** . . .  
I'll go sit in my corner now :'(**


End file.
